Big Snow NJ Mall may be forced to close Sunday

[urungus]

Apparently the owner of the mall promised to obey the local county blue law when initially obtaining permits for the mall, but decided last year that the law doesn’t apply to them. Was Big Snow open on Sundays before last year ?

Paramus sues American Dream for ignoring blue laws by staying open Sundays

Bergen County's blue laws prohibit the sale of nonessential items such as furniture, appliances and clothing within the county on Sundays.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Zand]

It's not about the mall being open on Sundays, it's specifically about retail stores being open on Sundays. Big Snow (plus the Amusement Park, Waterpark, Skating Rink, restaurants, etc) have nothing to do with this.

Also someone needs to tell these people that won't change this stupid law that Puritanism hasn't been a thing for 400 years. Even MA has gotten with the times. They say it "makes traffic easier to deal with on Sundays" but it's like YOU LIVE IN NEW JERSEY.

 

[cdskier]

I don't think Big Snow itself would be impacted by the Blue Laws. The mall itself could remain open and just the stores impacted could close (if they needed to comply with the law, which they argue they do not since the mall sits on land owned by the state).

That said, Paramus needs to mind their own business. This has nothing to do with them and isn't in their town. I hope they lose. The Meadowlands has long been considered exempt from this law (shirts and other merchandise have been sold at football games in the Meadowlands on Sundays for decades as an example).

 

[cdskier]

It's not about the mall being open on Sundays, it's specifically about retail stores being open on Sundays. Big Snow (plus the Amusement Park, Waterpark, Skating Rink, restaurants, etc) have nothing to do with this.

Also someone needs to tell these people that won't change this stupid law that Puritanism hasn't been a thing for 400 years. Even MA has gotten with the times. They say it "makes traffic easier to deal with on Sundays" but it's like YOU LIVE IN NEW JERSEY.

I'm torn on the issue personally. On the one hand, I think the Blue Laws are ridiculous and silly. On the other hand, they do significantly reduce traffic in certain areas of the county. For example driving to/from VT I always drive on Rt 17 through Paramus. On Sundays coming home from VT, Rt 17 through Paramus is a breeze. If I drive home any other day, it sucks.

FWIW, there was a referendum not too long ago and people in Bergen county continued to vote to maintain the law. (I honestly don't remember which way I voted).

 

[4aprice]

I wish they opened earlier on weekdays. Not being open mornings prevents me from going more.

I wonder how much they can actually do? There just happens to be this huge structure across the street that is allowed to operate on Sundays. they going to close that as well. Its existence is a detriment to the ski operations on fall Sunday's anyways as the lots are used for NFL games. Why Bergen County still have Bue Laws is beyond me.

 

[cdskier]

I wish they opened earlier on weekdays. Not being open mornings prevents me from going more.

I wonder how much they can actually do? There just happens to be this huge structure across the street that is allowed to operate on Sundays. they going to close that as well. Its existence is a detriment to the ski operations on fall Sunday's anyways as the lots are used for NFL games. Why Bergen County still have Bue Laws is beyond me.

Simply put...people here are stubborn. It is mainly a case of NIMBY where people that live here want a break from all the traffic around the malls in Paramus (and this is mainly driven by people in/near or that drive through Paramus I'm assuming as I can't see a big impact anywhere other than the roads in that part of the county).

 

[deadheadskier]

You might be a dick if you don't have a problem with knee capping a business or it's employees' ability to make money just so you have less traffic to deal with.

I'm not directing this comment at you specifically cdskier. I loathe traffic myself to the point that it plays a large part in living where I do and the jobs I'm willing to take. I'd enjoy the lesser traffic too, but would never vote for such a law.

Surprises me that a NYC suburb still has blue laws.

 

[cdskier]

The data that is always mentioned whenever someone makes that argument in favor of eliminating blue laws is that the malls and stores in Paramus do more business in 6 days than most stores in other counties do in 7 days. No idea if true or not, but I've also anecdotally heard many employees that work retail in Bergen county are actually glad they can't be asked/required to work Sundays.

Like I said, personally I'm indifferent. I don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. But I grew up here so this has always been completely "normal" to me.

 

[bigbob]

You might be a dick if you don't have a problem with knee capping a business or it's employees' ability to make money just so you have less traffic to deal with.

I'm not directing this comment at you specifically cdskier. I loathe traffic myself to the point that it plays a large part in living where I do and the jobs I'm willing to take. I'd enjoy the lesser traffic too, but would never vote for such a law.

Surprises me that a NYC suburb still has blue laws.

You travel 108 certain times of the day and the backups from the Newfields light can be brutal. Could add at least 10 minuts to your travels.

 

[deadheadskier]

You travel 108 certain times of the day and the backups from the Newfields light can be brutal. Could add at least 10 minuts to your travels.

Sometimes I head that way. Newfields light is really only bad for maybe 30 minutes each morning and rarely does it take ten minutes. It's a heckuva lot better than 125 over by you!