By Sophia Wiener
SHREWSBURY – Some residents of the Enclave, an active adult community in Shrewsbury, have asked the borough council to become more involved in Netflix’s plans for the construction of a major film production facility on the former Fort Monmouth.
Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth will be located in sections of Eatontown and Oceanport, with none of the project falling within Shrewsbury’s borders. However, part of the development lies along a branch of Parkers Creek, just a few hundred feet from the Enclave community.
Phase 1A – four soundstages, two mills, a backlot and additional support structures – will be located within Oceanport’s borders. In Eatontown, Phase 1B of the project will include eight twin soundstages, three mill buildings, a 5-acre backlot, production support areas and offices on 47.5 acres. That phase received approval from town planners Sept. 2.
Demolition of over 80 obsolete buildings on the former U.S. Army fort is ongoing through a special agreement with the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA).
At the Sept. 9 meeting, 17 residents of the Enclave, which has 66 homes, brought their concerns to the council.
Resident Aaron Rassas had attended the Sept. 2 Eatontown Planning Board meeting and said he was impressed by Eatontown council members’ wide knowledge of the project, even in areas where their municipality had no control. “They went into detail to say what was going to happen, which meant that somebody from the Eatontown government participated or made their opinions known when the plans were developed,” Rassas said.
Enclave residents want Shrewsbury’s council to be similarly involved. They requested that a council liaison be appointed to attend meetings related to Netflix and represent Shrewsbury’s concerns, as well as be available to residents as a source of information.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s going to impact our quality of life directly – light, noise pollution, asbestos,” Brett Neuhauser said. “There’s also some collateral damage we’re going to be affected by. He cited the “cumulative effect” of traffic from the redevelopment of the Monmouth Mall and Netflix, more foot traffic and the new Montessori school on Avenue of the Commons.
“It would be nice to know that a liaison is there, fighting our fight for us,” Neuhauser said.
Residents also expressed their hope that the town engineer could consult with Netflix’s team. They noted the willingness of Netflix to work with local officials and municipalities, based on observations from the Eatontown meeting.
However, council members said Shrewsbury’s lack of involvement with the project is because they have no control over it.
Residents are also concerned about the project’s effect on Parkers Creek, which Shrewsbury and Eatontown share ownership of.
“I have spoken to FMERA and I brought to their attention some of our residents’ questions about asbestos removal and Parkers Creek and DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) and all those things. And I’ve been told that it’s a state issue, oftentimes,” said Shrewsbury Mayor Kim Eulner after the meeting.
Residents of the Enclave were advised to attend Netflix meetings themselves when they previously asked the council to be more involved with the project, and the council was again unable to promise a liaison.
“I can’t commit for me or any of my council who have full-time jobs, are doing this voluntarily, are on subcommittees,” Eulner said.
What the mayor and her team agreed to do is listen to the more specific concerns residents present and try to find solutions, some of which were addressed at the meeting. Ed and Madeline Ryterband complained of hearing construction workers at the Netflix site before 7 a.m., when noise ordinances prohibit work until after 8 a.m. Residents were advised to report any of these violations to the police in the town where the noise originates, as getting violations on the books can eventually lead to fines for repeat offenders.
Larry Durso, president of the Enclave’s Homeowners Association, spoke about his community’s concern that the multistory buildings Netflix is constructing will be an eyesore in the winter, as there will be no leaves on the trees to block them. Eulner said the issue had been raised with Netflix, and there is discussion about their planting evergreens around their facilities.
Traffic issues that residents feel could be related to Netflix construction down the road were also raised by residents.
Richard Angus lives on Silverbrook Road, which is frequently used as a cut-through between Route 35 and Sycamore Avenue. He believes speed bumps are necessary to reduce speeding in that neighborhood. He also discussed the danger for pedestrians and drivers on Route 35 and Sycamore Avenue.
Route 35 is a state road and Sycamore Avenue is a county road, making it, once again, difficult for the council to do much.
“This summer we met with the state Department of Transportation and other stakeholders, and half of us walked from adjacent to Panera to the CVS, and the other half walked towards the Grove. I agree with you, it’s very scary. We know the slow wheels of the state and the county. They are in year three or four of a seven-year study,” Eulner said, but noted officials are “on the case.”
Eulner thanked residents for attending the meeting and helping to bring impor tant issues to the council’s attention. She said residents attending a council meeting “is wonderful because we as council and mayor can all be together, and we can hear people’s issues and address them. The fact that so many Enclave residents came that night, I think it was wonderful.”
The article originally appeared in the September 25 – October 1, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
