The bill would allow seasonal liquor license holders open on March 1, in time for the Belmar/Lake Como St. Patrick's Day parade.
TRENTON - Several popular Jersey Shore bars including D'Jais in Belmar are seeking a permanent extension to seasonal liquor licenses granted temporarily after Hurricane Sandy that allowed them to open earlier in the year.
The bill pending in the Legislature would allow the holders of the nine coveted seasonal licenses to open in time for St. Patrick's Day, which in Belmar in particular is big business due to the huge crowds for the town's annual parade.
But not everyone is on board with the proposal.
Construction vehicles drive down Ocean Avenue outside D'Jais in Belmar after Hurricane Sandy. D'Jais is one of several establishments that would benefit if a bill to extend by two months seasonal liquor licenses. "The only one who wants it is the owner of D'Jais and all of their North Jersey politicians," said Reggie Hyde, owner of Bar A in Lake Como and the Monmouth County director of the New Jersey Licensed Beverage Association, which represents other year-round bars in the area.
"Anyone that bought a seasonal license bought one at a substantially reduced dollar amount comparatively speaking to a full-year license," Hyde said. "You're basically harming the value of the licenses and the potential business on the month of March and the month of April, including Parade Day."
The owner of D'Jais did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Currently, there are nine seasonal liquor licenses in Monmouth County that allow establishments to serve alcohol from May 1 to Nov. 4. The bill currently under consideration would allow those establishments to start serving booze March 1.
The expanded season would mirror a temporary three-year allowance granted by Gov. Chris Christie by executive order after Hurricane Sandy to help shore towns and businesses.
In 2016, however, Christie didn't sign another executive order. And a bill that would have made the two-month extension permanent was previously approved by the Legislature, but "pocket vetoed" -- meaning Christie didn't take action on the bill at the end of the Legislative session.
At that time, Christie issued the following statement: "Having the legislature pass more than 100 bills in such a hasty and scrambled way, praying for them to be rubber stamped, is never a good formula for effectively doing public business."
Legislators reintroduced the bill (A1850) in January 2016, and it has already passed the state Assembly. It is awaiting a vote before the Senate.
Assemblyman David Rible (R-Monmouth) criticized the bill for not having any Monmouth County legislators as sponsors. He said it puts year-round license holders at a disadvantage.
"If this bill is passed and signed, it actually makes (seasonal liquor licenses) the most valuable license in the state," Rible said. "It's a home run license at that point."
It also sets a bad precedent, he said.
"I don't think it's fair to change the rules," he said. "My concern is that this is Pandora's Box. What's going to happen is these places can say, 'We want to be open for Parade Day.' But now they're going to say they want to be open for New Year's Eve."
One of the sponsors of the bill, Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin (D-Passaic), who has owned a second home in Belmar for more than 40 years, said there's language in the bill that allows each municipality to opt out, giving them autonomy.
"Each municipality can decide for themselves if they want to go along with it," Giblin said, adding that he hasn't heard any opposition from the councils in the local boroughs.
The Columns in Avon-by-the-Sea is one of nine businesses with a seasonal liquor license. (Photo by Rob Spahr | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Of the nine seasonal liquor licenses, two are currently not in use. D'Jais has two of the licenses, and a third is owned by a realtor who's holding onto it.
The other seasonal licenses are owned by the Norwood Inn and The Columns in Avon-by-the-Sea, the Bungalow Hotel in Long Branch, Waypoint 622 in Brielle, The Parker House in Sea Girt and The Grand Victorian Hotel in Spring Lake.
Giblin said the legislation is needed to meet a need in the area, which he said has seen an increase in the number of full-time residents.
Belmar Mayor Matthew Doherty said if the bill makes it to the governor's desk, he hopes Christie signs it.
"It's a benefit for small business and their employees here in Belmar and the other Shore towns that have seasonal liquor licenses," he said. "What this legislation does is get working class people back to work sooner."
It's unclear what would happen if the bill makes it to Christie's desk. A Christie spokesman said the administration doesn't "discuss pending legislation until a final bill is delivered and we have had ample time to give it a thorough review."
The bill has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the Senate. It passed the Senate Law and Public Safety Committee 3-2 with no abstentions earlier this month.
Tim Harmon, the co-owner of Boathouse in Belmar, says the bill is nothing but "pure politics."
"I'm not happy about it," he said. "There's a tremendous amount of energy being put into this. The point is that you bought a seasonal license and that's what you got. They're changing this law for one day for one bar."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.