South Jersey residents will decide whether businesses can sell alcohol through a vote

For the past 120 years, residents of a small South Jersey community have had to travel to another town to purchase alcohol.

Haddon Heights is one of the few remaining dry towns in the Garden State. Drive through the city center and you’ll come across flower shops, boutiques, jewelry stores and restaurants. You won’t find a bar or liquor store. It has been this way since the commune was founded in 1904, but changes may be coming.

“There is an opportunity to attract a whole new customer base to our center,” said Zachary Houck, mayor of Haddon Heights.

Houck said this election there will be a non-binding referendum on whether businesses should be allowed to sell alcohol. Houck favors a “yes” vote and believes it would give the business district a boost.

“Small stores that will benefit from this because it will bring an influx of foot traffic into our downtown community,” Houck said.

In New Jersey, the number of retail alcohol licenses depends on population. The mayor of Haddon Heights said if changes are made, the township could receive two licenses. So we asked voters what they thought about it.

“There are only a few restaurants in town, so why not have some alcohol licenses here,” said Vicki Lee, who cast her vote during early voting.

“As a resident of Haddon Heights, I think this is a good opportunity for us to create something more local that we can take advantage of,” said Cat Hutchison, owner of Trouble Brewing Coffee House on Station Avenue.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like if that changed. I’m quite traditional and quite conservative, so let’s leave it as it is,’ said Georgianne Kloss, who has lived in the borough for almost 70 years.

Regardless of how the referendum goes, the mayor and city council will still have the final say on whether to implement the ordinance.

“We would respect wishes if they were overwhelmingly favorable one way or another, yes or no,” Houck said.

Ryan Hughes

Ryan Hughes joined CBS News Philadelphia in June 2022. He previously worked at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he covered stories ranging from the Surfside apartment collapse weeks to the impact of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and the Super Bowl in Miami.