On June 30th, the Middletown Planning Board unanimously voted to approve the proposed development of 340 apartments plus a standalone Starbucks.  We were utterly appalled at how little regard was given to community members throughout the process of the Exit 109 “re”development.  Decisions were made before we all walked in the door.  The inconsiderate Planning Board forced the meeting to run until a vote at 12:30am.  Concerned residents were forced to wait until just prior to the vote to voice our thoughts, none of which were taken into consideration.  This was rushed and wreaks of political coercion and corporate greed. 

While the votes have been cast, we are not silenced.  We can still weigh in on traffic and accident concerns at the county level and most importantly, we can express the value of the steep slope, wetlands, and river to the local ecosystem at the state level.  We can't stop the project BUT we have a shot at shrinking the magnitude of the project.  From the NJDEP, "...we welcome and take into account comments such as yours outside of the official public comment period of an application as well."  So if you have environmental concerns relating to the development at 331 Newman Springs Rd, please contact:

Bryan Carter
Environmental Specialist 1 | Watershed & Land Management
Bureau of Coastal Permitting
bryan.carter@dep.nj.gov
609-940-5276

Further, if you have photographed or identified any potential rare, threatened or endangered species in this area of the Swimming River, please call the Threatened and Endangered unit of Fish & Wildlife:  609-940-4322.

We truly appreciate all of you and all of your support these last couple years.  However this project ends up, know it won't be the last in Monmouth County.  If we remain silent, nothing changes.  Let's work together to preserve Monmouth County and put a stop to overdevelopment.     

-S.O.S.