The long settlement of mature woodland in Matawan, New Jersey that provides just enough of a buffer zone for the residential community is now being threatened by an unnecessary commercial building plan by Jersey 34 Tennis Club. Where do they want to squeeze this huge secondary warehouse size building in? Right in the Residents' backyard! By destroying most, if not all of the natural wood and wet lands that the residents and wildlife receive enjoyment from. This Plan will have adverse physical, emotional and financial effects on the residential community of the behind them and must not be approved.

The commercial developers will need to convince the Planning & Zoning Board of Old Bridge Township to disregard the following substantial material evidence:

(1) their predecessors’ original master zoning plan for the area and their intention to keep residential neighborhoods “unaffected and disquieted by commercial activity” which requires certain buffer zones that should not be changed or amended;  

(2) the residents’ valid concerns of disturbance of peace and nuisance (during & afterward); their opposition to the destruction of long established (30+ years) peaceful natural aesthetic wooded barrier that has remained in an unused, vegetative state;

(3) displacement of wildlife; and Removal of natural rainfall ground absorption;

(4) destruction of (nearly 200) 50-75 foot high mature trees which drink a lot of the rainfall; provide shade, enjoyment and life to the entire environment;

(5) very real probability of increased flooding; 

(6) decreased residential property values;

(7) the trust and will of the people that live, resident and pay taxes in the municipality that will be harmed by this lengthy deleterious endeavor.

The Planning & Zoning Board would have to issue “relief” from the “long established zoning laws” and multiple land use variances, including, but not limited to a granting of permission for them to build in the "buffer zone" of the “protected wetlands area” in the corner of the property while knowingly cause harm to the surrounding residential communities they have sworn to serve and protect.

Jersey 34 Tennis Club commercial site plan seeks to bring a parking lot and "drop off zone" right in the residents backyard which they "assure the Board" will not bring any unwanted additional noise or increased headlights to the residential community which they have no reasonable evidence for making said claim. The application proposes to destroy nearly two hundred mature trees (three of which are considered "heritage trees”) that provide over 50 foot high shade, thick separation and covering to the peaceful residential neighborhood and replace the thick settled woodland with a large unwanted towering building with only two rows of 8-10 foot "staggered" pine trees for a “show of privacy."

At present, the woodland is currently an ideal habitat for many plants and animals, including the "red tailed hawk," heritage trees and many other various wildlife and wetlands. 

The Tennis Club has been settled and has had all their commercial activity to date in the front of the building and this proposal threatens to destroy the sanctity and privacy of the quiet thick wooded area between the Residential and Commercial Zones that have always been in a vegetated natural state of non-use.

We are going to need to put more public pressure on the council to make sure this vital woodland isn't destroyed and are neighborhoods have equal protection under the law.

Please sign the petition and help show the council that we have to preserve our woodland, save endangered animals and protect the green belt that provides peaceful enjoyment to the residents and the wildlife that live in and around the area..

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LEGAL NOTICE TO THE PLANNING/ZONING BOARD OF OLD BRIDGE TOWNSHIP:

Dear People acting as the TOWNSHIP OF OLD BRIDGE & JERSEY 34 ASSOCIATES :

We The People that lawfully and peacefully live in, and possess, the private residential zoned lands touching, and/or residing close by the property publicly known as JERSEY 34 TENNIS CLUB (commonly referred to as 593 New Jersey State Highway 34, Matawan, New Jersey and recorded as Block 3236.24, Lot 25.12) Hereby do not consent or agree to this offensive and improper land use violation which will adversely effect our residential community, property values and ability to peacefully enjoy our own private properties. 

We are confident The Planning & Zoning Board will remain true to the original/master zoning plan (as they did for other residents on March 5th 2020) which affords us the privacy, peaceful natural settlement and agreeable distance between the acceptable commercial activity and our private residential neighborhoods.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that each of us; and all of us, united as a residential community, strongly oppose and reject the offensive proposal by the living souls acting as JERSEY 34 ASSOCIATES to destroy hundreds of mature trees (including multiple Heritage Trees) in excess of 50 feet high which has been a long established peaceful natural settlement between "their acceptable commercial activity and our peaceful residential neighborhood of privacy and tranquility."

We strongly urge you, as our fellow residents, representatives and community members, to reject the destruction of our quiet, private rural beautiful neighborhood for such unwanted commercial encroachment and destruction of our established residential environment. A similar application was rejected by the Board on March 5th, 2020  due to the Board's "overwhelming desire" to stay true to the "original/master zoning plan" and the deleterious effect such commercial overreach would have on the residential community's well being and property values.

Regardless of whether or not any of the members of the Zoning Board of the TOWNSHIP OF OLD BRIDGE might be tempted to "relieve or adjust the current requirements for development" in hopes of bringing in more “land improvement taxes,” those of us with good faith are confident and trust the application will be wholly and completely rejected with prejudice without any further consideration and amendments and do herein set our seals to this petition.

Wherefore, We, the undersigned owners of properties directly and perniciously affected by the requested zoning change described in the above-referenced address do hereby protest against any and all changes/variances/reliefs which would unlawfully permit the commercial property to deviate from the Original Master Zoning Plan. This commercial property directly adjoins the residential properties by the already small agricultural buffer zone and we oppose any zoning that will increase the noise and traffic that would detrimentally affect the peaceful enjoyment of our homes. We also feel that any change in zoning of this property would negatively affect the value of our homes, safety of children and aesthetics of the environment and the long established settlement of wildlife.

Sincerely and Principally Petitioned by:

Patricia, Linda Sue, Errol And Each of The Residential Community of Tara Drive and the Surrounding Residents.