Lacey Officials Sympathetic, But Can't Bend Rules For Caffrey's

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Although township officials support the rebuilding of Caffrey's Tavern, they cannot grant the owners' request to do so on the exact same location, which is closer to Route 9 than current rules require, according to a report in app.com.

Township Committeeman Gary Quinn told owners Dan Colman and Joe DePasquale and the roughly 100 supporters who attended the Sept. 27 committee meeting to apply for a permit from the township Board of Adjustment.

The iconic restaurant was destroyed by a fire on Sept. that ripped through the building on Route 9. The blaze was later ruled accidental and began in the kitchen, a spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office has said.

"The origin of the fire was located along the west wall of the kitchen on the stove top," spokesman Al Della Fave has said.

The fire was reported at 8:54 a.m. It developed rapidly and spread through the entire roof system, which damaged the entire building, he said.

Lacey Township police and multiple area fire departments battled the blaze for more than two hours. The fire was bought under control by 11:30 a.m., and firefighters began working inside to put out pockets of fire, Della Fave said.

To read the entire app.com story, click here.

Photo: Courtesy of courtesy of Scott Dacus