Residents Speak Out Against Outdoor Seating At New Diner
Council grants Monarch Diner on Route 23 permission to have outdoor seating facing Route 23. Residents say the new set up will only make the noise problems in the area worse.
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Residents are concerned that outdoor seating at a new diner will disrupt their quality of life.
The council approved an application for outdoor seating at the Monarch Diner earlier this month. The diner opened a few weeks ago.
Several people who live on Nancy Court spoke out against the application before the vote was taken. They said that people who hang outside of Fuddruckers are already loud at nighttime, especially on the weekend. Fuddruckers is located next to the diner.
Residents said adding more outdoor seating to the area would make the problem worse.
Wayne Berman said has to keep his window closed at night because of all the noise.
“It detracts from the residential calmness that we want,” Berman said.
Councilman Alan Purcell and Council President Joseph Scuralli voted against the application.
Scuralli said that while he isn’t against the application or what the diner is trying to do, he wants to see more of a dialogue between the diner and property owners and nearby residents.
“Nobody wants to live next to a place where you have to listen to that kind of stuff at night,” Scuralli said.
Residents also said that vehicles cut through the back of the parking lot late at night, making more noise. One resident said that his car was vandalized by a Fuddruckers patron.
The tables will be located at the front of the building facing Route 23 South, away from the houses. People will only be allowed to use the tables from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. although the diner will be open 24 hours a day. The diner is not licensed to sell alcohol.
Per town law, outdoor seating is permitted anytime between 7 a.m. and midnight. Other restaurants, including Panera, Greenberry’s, and Bensi, offer outdoor seating, but those establishments are not located next to residential homes.
Diner owner Tina Diakos said that she does not want to present any kind of problem to local residents by having the seating.
“I want to bring families here and support Wayne,” Diakos said. “If the outdoor seating can make it so that parents get to spend more time with their kids, then I’m all for it.”
Diakos said that employees would park in the spaces located behind the diner, which, she said, should reduce the amount of noise coming from that side of the building.
The property has been home to several restaurants in recent years.
Property owner Todd Mano said that having the outdoor seating could give the diner the edge it needs to be successful.
“It’s a benefit to keep businesses in business and not scare them away,” Mano said. “We’re providing a service to the community.”
Councilman Chris McIntyre suggested the town place ‘no loitering’ signs in the area, especially near Fuddruckers, to discourage people from being loud and disrupting residents in their homes.
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In This article
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Fuddruckers
1813 State Route 23, Wayne, NJ -
Greenberry's Coffee & Tea Company
239 Berdan Ave, Wayne, NJ -
Bensi Restaurant
669 Hamburg Tpke, Wayne, NJ
Nose Wayne
11:09 pm on Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Here we go again NIMBY!! The seating is in the front.Woods on the left,Fuddruckers on the right. Three houses on a cul-de-sac off Black Oak to the rear.Sound familar? Look across the street at the VACANT STATE FARM!! NIMBY?
Scondo
4:41 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Do the residents eat on their deck? I occasionally eat on mine, but I try to be quiet.
Wayne Resident
10:16 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Scondo, how is that relevant?
Ron
2:48 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
wow, random
Nose Wayne
6:12 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Diner does not sell alcohol and is only open outside till 10 pm.Let's not scare this one away and have another VACANT building on 23.
Josie Wanna
8:09 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
something for more ppl to complain about!
Bob
10:05 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Much to do about nothing. How much noise would be produced by having people dining & talking at an outside dinner location? I would think that the traffic noise on Route 23 would be enough of a problem for these few residents that are objecting. Personally why would anyone want to eat outside and listen to the traffic on Route 23-not I. Maybe the diner should be replaced by a big box that the council finally approved for that zone & then they would have something really to object to.
Rich
10:34 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
The tables will be located at the front of the building facing Route 23 South,
Not to be insensitive to my fellow Waynerians, but REALLY? Trucks, and Cars barreling down route 23 at 55 to 70mph, is ok, but someone eating a turkey club is too noisy??? Let's get real folks...
Ron
2:50 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
To that point, who wants to sit outside facing 23, with the exhaust and noise 10 yds away, with a view of trucks driving by?
Rex miatke
11:47 am on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Can we say NIMBY. We need rateables. We need to bring business in not push it away. Folks that live beside state highway 23 need to realize that they are next to a state highway. Let the diner have outdoor seating. There is no alcohol involved here because they do not have a liquor license. How much noise can come from a family having a nice meal outside??
Scondo
12:22 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
@WR, I was being sarcastic, the entire idea that they should have some gripe about people eating outside is absurd, the idea that Mc Intyre thinks the town should put up no loitering signs is ridiculous. As the point has been abundantly made, the tinkling of a glass or a fork against a plate will be lost to the traffic noise of a major highway. This is another thing that should not take up too much time.
Wayne Resident
12:52 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Oh...funny
Nose Wayne
2:59 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Just drove by 5 minutes ago. Place looks real nice,Only three or four tables I saw as I drove by at 85mph so not to be tailgated!!
George
4:23 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
this article is very misleading...I saw the council meeting when this application came before it...for what reason it went before the council rather than the planning board or board of adjustments is a mystery....anyway, the people asked questions since they were not privy to the plans, did not really oppose it strongly and I know for fact since the residents met with the owners of the diner (right after the meeting as a matter of fact) and are very okay with what was proposed...this is old news....
Diane
10:39 pm on Thursday, May 31, 2012
Oh come on!!! Be glad new business wants to co come
E to Wayne. Do u really want another empty building I have eaten there and it's great!!!!!
Nose Wayne
1:12 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Diane, did you look out the window while you were eating and see the empty building across the street? ATTABOY WAYNE!! ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!!
Justice
4:13 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Aren't these the same neighbors of the World War II Veteran who was found dead (for about a year) in his home while the town mowed his lawn (charging it back at an atrocious price) because of whiny, complaining neighbors? Nancy Court seems to face that property?
Pad
5:51 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
NIMBY's are for the most part are making things worse. As long as it is in someone elses backyard it's OK. Look at the State Farm property. Could have been a ratable for years now. They just went up the road and spent their tax money somewhere else. We need ratables to stabilize taxes. These people live near RT23 and now they are going to complain about a few tables in front of a diner that faces the highway? The road noise alone will drown out any outside noise from the patrons.
Nose Wayne
7:42 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Justice,Right across the street!! They NOSEtice the diner but didn't NOSEtice a WWll VETERAN that was dead inside his house for over a year? HOW SAD!!
Justice
6:27 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Just sold on May 29 for 125,000. Wonder who got the money.
Nose Wayne
7:49 am on Friday, June 1, 2012
Pad, They have to stop DRINKING that brook water that runs by. Must be those VOICES their hearing in their heads!!
Steven McNally
7:58 pm on Friday, June 1, 2012
Have you ever heard how loud it is when someone is drinking their soda through a straw and they get to the bottom and they make that slurping sound ?? I would hate to be laying in bed and have to listen to that all the time, so I say NO to outdoor dining.
Nose Wayne
7:02 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Justice,Probabily the township for cutting the grass.
Ed Zachary
10:54 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Thanks for deleting my comment--yes that's sarcasm. Something to ponder: Trigger happy mods tend to drive people away from websites.
Nose Wayne
11:18 am on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Ed,Don't feel so bad. I get DELETED ALOT because I NOSE ALOT THAT GOES ON IN THIS TOWN!! Just have to watch your WORDING. Some people have NOSE cents of humor!!
Justice
2:44 pm on Saturday, June 2, 2012
If you post in 8 different languages (excluding English) you may not get deleted.
Nose Wayne
6:25 pm on Saturday, June 2, 2012
Justice, THANKS for the tip!!