Wet or Dry?

by: deciminyan

Sun Oct 23, 2011 at 12:00:00 PM EDT

Six years ago, the township topped Money magazine's list of best places to live. The main east-west thoroughfare, Route 38, does not pass through the center of town, so Moorestown does not suffer the noise and pollution of through traffic like many other New Jersey towns its size. Known for its excellent schools, charming houses, and its Quaker roots, the town has been dry for almost a century.

And while the downtown area is often bustling with craft shows, parades, or other stereotypical small town America activities, the Moorestown Mall sits at the edge of town and attracts visitors from all over South Jersey.

Now, the owners of the mall want to draw more consumers by opening restaurants that serve alcohol. With competition from nearby malls and on-line shopping, the current owners of the nearly half-century old icon have managed to put together two ballot initiatives that would allow sales of liquor and provide licenses to restaurants to do so. Despite the fact that a similar referendum was voted down four years ago, and despite the fact that such referenda can be held only every five years, the courts have ruled that this initiative is worded sufficiently differently that it qualifies for the ballot.

So driving through Moorestown in the weeks before the election, you certainly see lots of yard signs for the legislative candidates. But the big issue is YES or NO on liquor licenses. Will the residents succumb to the promised $4 million in revenue that would come from approval? Or will they retain the laid-back charm that has been part of this South Jersey gem for decades?