APRIL 2019 EDITION
Monroe Township Among the Safest Cities in America
Monroe Township is ranked high among the 100 Safest Cities in America, according to the 2019 Report by SafeWise , a leading resource for home safety and security. 

Monroe Township is ranked as the 12th safest city in America, fourth safest city in the state and the top safest city in Middlesex County.   The ranking is based on FBI crime report statistics and population date for 2017, the most recent year for which information is available. 

“There’s nothing more important than the safety of all of our residents, businesses and visitors to Monroe Township,” said Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro. “We are committed to keeping crime rates very low – zero is our ultimate goal - and continue to allocate the appropriate resources toward that mission.
“I think all would agree that the Monroe Township Police Department is top notch and its creative initiatives toward safety and community engagement are unparalleled,” he added.

Monroe police recently announced a voluntary security camera registry. Businesses and residents provide access to their outdoor surveillance footage that could aid police investigations, expedite consequences for offenders and deter future unlawful activity. 

Those with security systems are encouraged to joining the registry by calling police headquarters at 732-521-0222.      

“This safety ranking is a testament to the men and women who patrol the streets of Monroe day and night, as well as their supervisors and commanding officers,” Mayor Tamburro said. “We welcomed three new officers to the police force earlier this month and we will continue to evaluate our human resources to ensure our police department has the staffing and other resources needed to remain successful.”

Connect with Monroe
Click below to learn more about these Township services
Mayor Tamburro Shares Local Concerns with Senate President Sweeney During Sit-Down in Monroe
Senate President Steven Sweeney (left) and Mayor Gerald Tamburro
Senate President Steve Sweeney visited the municipal building on March 29 to meet with Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro and review some of the mayor’s top priorities.

Sweeney said he appreciated the opportunity to meet with Tamburro, as part of his ongoing statewide effort to connect with knowledgeable local leaders and identify ways in which the state can work better with municipal government.

Tamburro shared his concerns about the court-mandated affordable housing requirements, forcing many communities in the state – including Monroe – to accept unwanted housing. The mayor told Sweeney that Monroe needs more tools to manage this development, including builders’ impact fees. The Mayor said he is determined to maintain an open space rate of 50 percent, even as Monroe grapples with this court-mandated housing.

The mayor also noted his long-time concern with the state’s school funding formula, noting he has testified in Trenton about the issue and will remain a vocal proponent for Monroe to receive its fair share.

Sweeney is well known for leading efforts to help underfunded districts like Monroe. Tamburro thanked the Senate President for his work; Monroe has seen an almost $3 million annual increase in school aid since 2017. But, the mayor said, Monroe will keep fighting until the state sends local taxpayers their true fair share.

Tamburro also thanked Sweeney for expanding the state retirement income tax exemption for seniors in 2016. This tax exemption reaches $80,000 in 2019 and $100,000 in 2020, to the benefit of many Monroe residents.

Finally, the Senate President and the mayor discussed the impending closing of the New Jersey Training Home for Boys and the effort to ensure all 600 acres of the state-owned property is used for farming and open space. The Senate President supports the mayor’s efforts.

“I truly appreciate that Senate President Sweeney took the time to meet with me in Monroe to discuss some pressing concerns that our residents have voiced,” Tamburro said. “As always, the Senate President was receptive and I hope our meeting is a key step toward resolving some state issues that directly affect Monroe.”
Zoning Board Unanimously Rejects Proposed SPII-LLC Housing Development on Route 33
The Monroe Township Zoning Board voted 7-0 to reject an amended application that called for 206 new housing units and retail in an environmentally-sensitive area of Monroe, at the Millstone River.

The March 26 meeting attracted 180 concerned residents. Township officials, anticipating the crowd, proactively relocated the proceedings to a larger space at the Monroe Senior Center on Halsey Reed Road.

Mayor Tamburro said the developers sought to build in an area that 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.

“The Zoning Board considered all testimony and information presented and did what was in the best interest of the Township and the eagle,” said Mayor Tamburro, noting the proposal included 42 court-mandated affordable units.

The proposed developer of the 48-acre parcel, which sits on Route 33 between Applegarth Road and the East Windsor border, informed the Township in 2018 that the bald eagle nests on the property. Under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, it is unlawful to harm eagles, their nests, or eggs. 

Since the discovery of the nest, the developer, SPII-LLC. reconfigured the development plan, increasing the project density to the frontage of the highway to maintain the same number of housing units in the updated proposal.

To comply with the 660-foot buffer, the developer had less land on which to build. In response, the original plans, which called for mostly townhouses, had been replaced with four-story apartment buildings -- with the amount of commercial space being slashed to make room for the concentrated housing.

“The developer could have easily reduced the amount of housing units to lower the density and create an appropriate buffer to protect the bald eagle,” Mayor Tamburro said. “But, instead, the plan called for building rental apartments, some of which would be on top of reduced retail space right on Route 33. Many residents, I believe, thought this would be unsightly, unnecessary and not in the best interest for Monroe.”
Honoring Monroe High School State Champions
MTHS Unified High School Basketball Team celebrated at April 2 Township Council meeting for their NJSIAA Group B Unified Basketball State Champion title
Monroe Township High School Cheerleaders display their Awards of Excellence from Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro in honor of their Division and Group 4 State Championship win
Council President Stephen Dalina (left) and MTHS Director of Athletics Greg Beyer (right) present Gabby Miller (center) with Award of Excellence as NJSIAA Girls State Wrestling Champion
Monroe Township Boys Bowling Team honored as Central Jersey Group 4 Sectional State Champions
Monroe P.D. Save Four Women from Pond in Auto Accident

Four women are safe thanks to the quick efforts of first responders in Monroe after their vehicle wound up in a pond on March 30.

A BMW being driven by a 78-year-old woman was attempting to park in a marked handicap parking spot at the Regency at Monroe clubhouse. The driver reportedly accelerated, drove over the curb and into a viewing pond. The vehicle floated as water slowly entered.

Several Monroe police officers entered the pond in their full uniforms. They were able to tie a rope to the vehicle and pull it toward a shallow part of the pond.

Members of the Monroe Township Fire Districts and the Monroe Township First Aid Squad participated in the rescue. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Learn more about Monroe Township: