Borough Council instructed Borough Attorney, Jean Cipriani, Esq., to seek an emergency injunction against the operator of Karma nightclub preventing the nightclub from opening Memorial Day weekend. An order to show cause seeking emergent relief was filed today in the NJ Superior Court, Ocean County vicinage. The complaint seeks an order prohibiting the licensee from operating a nightclub in violation of the existing site plan approvals for a restaurant. According to the land use board's 2008 approval, the licensee must operate a "full restaurant service to be run by an independent restaurateur on the first level." The 2002 site plan approval included a representation by the prior licensee that "the proposed construction will contain a restaurant facility together with a pub...[and] the pub would have a "sports bar" theme and would provide live entertainment on occasion featuring jazz and blues type music." The 2002 site plan application included specific representations that the structure would be food oriented "and that the bar portion of the proposal is of a more answering nature to the principal use as a dining/banquet facility."
The Borough Code (Section 246-39A8) permits on the Boulevard taverns and bars only with on-premises restaurant facilities "whose primary purpose is to regularly and principally provide restaurant meals to the public as an integral part of the operation."
The operator of Karma recently announced its opening on Memorial Day weekend as a nightclub through social media with a dance party on Saturday night and a Hyperglow party scheduled for Sunday. Hyperglow describes itself on social media: "Since its inception in 2013, Hyperglow Tour has been on a mission to become America’s Largest Party. With massive expansions across the world, five consecutive years later this vision has certainly become a reality. By now, it would be expected that the novelty of glow events would be extinct, but Hyperglow reimagined their party’s into an unforeseen over-the-top experience; combining massive themes, high energy dance music, mind-blowing performances and entertainers under an ultra violet atmosphere."
The owners of Savor, the restaurant that previously operated out of the building, announced in April that it is not returning in 2018.
Click here for Land Use Board approvals.
Click here for Borough Attorney letter and Alcoholic Beverage License conditions.