Mayor Gerald Tamburro Tells "Bald Eagle Developer" That He Will Not Be Silenced
Developer Files Lawsuit Against Mayor, Demanding He Keep Quiet in His Opposition to SPII-LLC Development on Route 33
MONROE TOWNSHIP, N.J. – June 11, 2019 – The so-called “Bald Eagle Developer,” who has failed in obtaining Zoning Board approval to increase net density to construct a large, mixed-used development within the vicinity of the site of a bald eagle’s nest, has filed a lawsuit against Monroe, and specifically named Monroe Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro as a defendant.

“We will not be bullied by aggressive developers and their lawyers, who are focused on maximizing their profits, going beyond the court ordered settlement, no matter the detriment to the people of Monroe and our environment,” Tamburro said. “I have stated my opposition to this proposed development in my capacity as a concerned Monroe resident and an American who is entitled to free speech. If this developer has a problem with my criticism, that’s his problem.”
Since the discovery of the nest, the Bald Eagle Developer, known in municipal filings as “SPII-LLC,” reconfigured the development plan by squeezing the original number of units into less developable land. To do this, he is adding 4-story apartments, maintaining 206 housing units and reducing the development's commercial component.
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SPII-LLC, appeared before the township zoning board on March 26, trying to get approval for their amended plan to cram 206 new housing units on a smaller buildable footprint, in an environmentally-sensitive area of Monroe, near the Millstone River.

Prior to the meeting, Mayor Tamburro spread the word that the area is home to a bald eagle’s nest perched near the Millstone River. Under state and federal law, it can be illegal to construct buildings within 660 feet of the nest.

Hundreds of residents heard the Mayor’s concerns and turned out for the meeting, in which the zoning board rejected the application.

 “Suing the town, and me personally, will do absolutely nothing to change the position of the zoning board, which has made its ruling,” Tamburro said. “And, as a resident who cares deeply about this community, it is a decision I fully support and I will not be silenced.”
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