Freehold right to fight ongoing code violations

Freehold Borough Mayor Michael Wilson has every right to be good and ticked off that law enforcement authorities once again had to shut down what appears to be an illegal restaurant operating out of a home on Mechanic Street.

For the second time in less than a year, code enforcement personnel and health officials were called upon to respond to a home that is owned by an absentee landlord. Significant amounts of food, drinks, alcohol and supplies were found in the home.

Making the situation all the more galling to municipal officials and employees is the fact that the home is owned by Wall Township police officer Douglas Borst.

Wilson did not hold back when he said the town is "outraged" this situation could happen again and that "a law enforcement officer could break the law like this twice."

Borst and his tenant, Petra Hernandes, were both cited last week with operating a restaurant in a residence, overcrowding, failure to provide all the names of the home's tenants on the borough's landlord registration form, failure to provide fire extinguishers, having nonworking smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors in the home, violating a law that states that no food may be prepared or offered in a retail food establishment in a residence and failure to have any food documentation from a regulatory facility or distributor for the food being offered in the home.

Borst and Hernandes both paid fines in 2006 on charges related to running a retail food establishment and/or a community residential bed and breakfast retail food establishment in a home.

Borough officials were tipped off to the situation by a person who observed many individuals coming and going from the home. It did not take much for officials to consider the fact that the illegal restaurant operation had returned to Mechanic Street.

There may be social and economic reasons why this type of situation is occurring in the borough. A large population of immigrant workers has made Freehold Borough its home and requires food and shelter.

While that may be the reality of the situation, it is also a reality that Freehold Borough officials must protect the health and safety of all its residents - immigrants and non-immigrants. Restaurants operating out of homes in residential neighborhoods simply cannot be permitted to operate.

If the two people charged in this latest incident are embarrassed enough and fined enough, perhaps they and anyone else who is thinking about going into the "restaurant" business will get the message that Freehold Borough is serious - and rightfully so - about protecting the health and well-being of the community.