AUGUST 2019 EDITION
Mayor Tamburro Halts New Housing Development at “Lennar at Monroe Parke”
Monroe Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro has issued a stop work order for the interior of Building 6 at the “Lennar at Monroe Parke” development on Spotswood Englishtown Road and suspended any new building permits at the site because the builder is in violation of a state court-imposed settlement.

The Township of Monroe is one of 300 municipalities in the state that are under a state court order allowing developers to build affordable and market rate housing, despite previous zoning.

“Home builders have had some success in court against municipalities regarding affordable housing, but I will not allow them to exceed their court approvals by one inch,” Mayor Tamburro said. “That is why I am stopping any new construction on this site.”

As part of the state court settlement, Lennar received approval to construct a mix of market-rate homes and affordable-rate homes at a construction site at 647 Spotswood Englishtown Rd, at the corner of Mount Mills Road.

Under the agreement, once 76 market-rate homes are issued Certificates of Occupancy, then five affordable units must be built and issued Certificates of Occupancy.
Lennar Homes, a Florida corporation, has been issued a stop-work order for violating a New Jersey court order at this development site on Spotswood Englishtown Road in Monroe. (Photo: Monroe Township)
Lennar quickly moved forward to construct 73 market-rate homes, yet municipal inspectors have found little evidence of progress that affordable units are being built. Municipal officials suspect it would take many months, if not years, for affordable housing to be built on the site.

That is why Tamburro has intervened.  

“This issue, to me, is much more paramount than five affordable housing units,” Tamburro explained. “All too often, national home builders think they can come into a town and ignore the state and local requirements that protect our residents. If you ignore these requirements, we shut you down. Pure and simple.”

Tamburro noted the Township has other issues with Lennar in regards to Stonebridge, a Lennar development off Applegarth Road. The Township Council, with the recommendation of Tamburro, voted to authorize the taking of performance bonds if Lennar fails to make the long-delayed and needed repairs at Stonebridge.

“Our hope is that Lennar and other home builders will realize that we take our agreements very seriously,” Tamburro said. “All we ask of builders is to follow the letter of the law. And if they choose not to, then they have to deal with us.”
Monroe's Bond Rating Shows Township's Strong Financial Footing
In yet another affirmation of Monroe’s strong fiscal position, Standard and Poor’s has given the Township an “AA+” bond rating, the second highest bond rating assigned by the company and only awarded to 10% of municipalities nationwide. The Township’s short term borrowing rate is SP 1+, the highest rating available in that category.

Such a strong rating underscores the strong creditworthiness of Monroe as an issuer of bonds, signifying the municipality has strong financial backing, excellent credit reserves, and limited debt.

Because of such a strong bond rating, following a detailed review of the Township’s finances by third-party independent fiscal experts at Standard & Poor’s, Monroe can borrow money at the lowest interest rates.

“Our excellent bond rating reflects our flat municipal tax rate, strong administrative management, consistent financial operations and low debt,” explained Mayor Tamburro. “This accomplishment is not solely because of my Administration. This bond rating is based on years of conservative, limited government. We’ve continually tightened our belt, not spending a nickel more than we must, and the financial services companies have clearly taken note.”
As part of the bond sale, the Township secured 12 bidders that yielded a net interest of 1.52% on one-year notes, and 2.35% on 18-year notes. This is amongst the lowest rate of any similar municipality with a similar duration loan. Taxpayers directly benefit from capital projects funded at low interest rates that most other municipalities are not offered.  

With the AA+ rating, Monroe is also being recognized for proactive planning, in which Township leaders deliberately limit borrowing, manage emergency surplus, and focus on the reduction and limited use of municipal debt.

“I am proud of our sound business practices that directly result in taxpayer savings,” Tamburro said. “Monroe is in a strong financial position for years to come.”
Municipal Road
Improvements
As part of the Township's $1.4 million capital investment, the following roadways are being improved:

  • Erickson Avenue
  • Six portions of Federal Road
  • Union Valley Road in the area of Carly Court
  • Cranbury-Half Acre Road between Applegarth and Union Valley-Half Acre roads 
  • Dey Grove Road, between Perrineville and Jurgelsky roads
  • Centre Drive
  • Mounts Mills Road from Spotswood-Englishtown Road to the Regency entrance
County Road
Improvements
Middlesex County also is making several infrastructure improvements this year, including:

  • Portions of Half Acre Road between Forsgate Drive and Prospect Plains Road
  • Spotswood Englishtown Road from Mounts Mills Road to Country Club Drive
  • Prospect Plains Road from Perrineville to Hoffman Station roads
  • A portion of Butcher Road
State Grant Funded Projects
  • Monmouth Road: Partially funded by a $310,000 state grant, this project includes roadway widening, milling, new pavement, striping, new painted crosswalks, repair of drainage improvements, and concrete improvements to comply with ADA standards. 

  • Schoolhouse Road: A state transportation grant of $557,200 helped fund this project to repair and restore the pavement from the railroad tracks to Spotswood Gravel Hill Road. Improvements are to be completed this month.

  • Daniel Road & 10th Street: To begin this month, improvements include road milling, paving, drainage, curb and ADA concrete improvements. Construction is to be completed this fall.
Connect with Monroe
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MTPD Congratulates 29 Youth Academy Graduates
The inaugural Monroe Township Police Youth Academy was held this summer at the Monroe Township Middle School.  

Free to Monroe residents entering seventh or eighth grade for the 2019-2020 school year, the program was designed to give young adults a first-hand look into a career in law enforcement while building confidence and promoting self-reliance and teamwork. Each recruit participated in team building exercises, cadence drills, classroom learning and physical training sessions led by volunteer police personnel.  
Students participate in the inaugural Monroe Township Police Youth Academy. (Photo: Monroe Township)
Graduation ceremonies were held on July 26, when 29 recruits received certificates of completion and kudos for a job well done. Graduates opened the August 5 Township Council meeting with a cadence call then led attendees in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Monroe police Sgt. Breuer recognized Detective Dale DeGraw for conceptualizing the Youth Academy and thanked police who volunteered their time to make the program possible. 

Congratulations to the inaugural graduating class of the Monroe Township Police Youth Academy!

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