BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater Mayor Matthew Moench told a developer the township will resume litigation over 1200 Route 22(the former Greymark property) and oppose any warehouse or data center project at the site.
In a letter addressed to Reuben Twersky, director of development for Treetop Companies, Moench said he has instructed township attorneys to return court case SOM-L-1372-22 to active litigation.
Moench framed the dispute as part of a broader development policy he said has guided his administration since he announced his mayoral candidacy on Feb. 9, 2019.
When he announced his candidacy, Moench said he pledged "to balance the need for economic growth with an unrelenting commitment to defending our residents' quality of life from development applications inconsistent with our vision for Bridgewater," Moench wrote.
He said the township has been willing to support projects it considers appropriate while fighting those it sees as out of step with local planning goals.
"Whether in the courts or sitting across the negotiation table, over the past seven years my message to potential developers has been the same: If you work with us on smart, reasonable development, we will work with you to create economic growth and opportunity beneficial to developers and our residents," Moench wrote.
He continued, "However, if you insist on forcing ill-suited, unwanted development onto our community inconsistent with our vision for future growth, we will fight aggressively and unrelentingly to protect our residents' quality of life."
In October 2022, the township approved a warehouse ordinance.
He wrote that less than a month later, the developer filed a lawsuit seeking to undo that ordinance. Read More: Lawsuit Filed Over Bridgewater's Warehouse Restrictions
In September 2026, the township approved an ordinance addressing AI data centers, and less than a month later, the developer filed a lawsuit to undo it.
Moench said the township will press forward in court if necessary.
"If necessary, we will spend the next four years making sure that a shovel is never put in the ground at 1200 Route 22 for a warehouse or a data center," he wrote.
The mayor also told the developer, "While I had hoped that we would be able to work together on a viable project for 1200 Route 22, it is apparent that you have no interest in our community besides the profit you can make at the expense of our quality of life."
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