Owner Moves Forward With Mad Hatter Rebuild

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By John Burton
SEA BRIGHT – The Mad Hatter’s owner is moving forward with rebuilding, regardless of efforts to appeal the borough’s development approval and other obstacles he’s experienced since the location was clobbered by Super Storm Sandy four years ago.
Scott Kelly commenced work on what will be the eventual rebuilding of the Mad Hatter restaurant and bar in the borough’s Ocean Avenue business district by demolishing the existing structure on Oct. 28.
“We got approved from the (borough) Planning Board, from the town. We have the full support of the town, the mayor,” Kelly said last week. “At this point it’s just a matter of moving our plan forward.”
There is, however, something that could present difficulties for Kelly’s plans. Jennifer Walsh, a borough resident, who lives in close proximity to the Mad Hatter’s location at 10 East Ocean Ave., has filed suit in state Superior Court, seeking to have the planning board’s approval to rebuild and expand the business overturned.
Walsh and her attorney, Ron Gasiorowski, had argued during the series of lengthy planning board meetings, that Kelly’s plans were excessive and too large for the site, straining the area infrastructure, overwhelming public parking, causing considerable noise and impacting area residents’ quality of life.
But Kelly and his wife, Amy, have received considerable public support from those who enjoyed the popular nightspot and those who see this rebuilding as emblematic of Sea Bright’s recovery as sort of the mythical phoenix rising, not from the ashes, but the water surges of Sandy that devastated the beach town on Oct. 29, 2012.
Kelly’s plans are to rebuild as a three-story, elevated structure that maxes out the property footprint and provides only a handful of parking spaces. The new Mad Hatter would have live music on some evenings and a building-wide sound system for recorded music, as well as outdoor decks to be used as weather permits. The board approved the plan in a 6-3 vote in June.
“We’re going forward with our complaint. If he loses he’s got a problem,” Gasiorowski said. “As far as I’m concerned he’s doing it at his own peril.”
Should the court overturn the board’s decision, Kelly would have to stop construction and likely have to return to the board for further consideration. If the Superior Court judge upholds the decision, it could be a moot point; but Walsh could continue her opposition and again take the matter to the Superior Court Appellate Division as one of a number of possible legal options.
“We’ve come across many, many hurdles in the past four years. This is just another one,” said Kelly, dismissing the challenge.
He called Walsh’s appeal “a little hiccup” compared to other difficulties he’s faced and stressed it wouldn’t prevent him from commencing the rebuilding process. “At a certain point you have to make decisions,” he said.
Kelly and his family have just moved back to their home in Sea Bright after being displaced by Sandy and living in Tinton Falls. He’s continuing to do battle with insurance companies over his home and business.
Kelly is finalizing the process of getting the necessary permits to continue the work and plans to begin laying the building’s foundation shortly.
“We’re being very optimistic,” hoping to have construction completed by spring/early summer 2017, Kelly said.