Developer Sues Rochelle Park Officials for $45M, Alleging Delford Project Was Blocked

ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. — Tulfra Real Estate, through affiliated development entities, has filed a civil-rights lawsuit in Bergen County Superior Court seeking more than $45 million from the Township of Rochelle Park and a group of local officials, including Mayor Thomas Miller and Deputy Mayor Matthew Trawinski, according to court filings cited in local reporting.

The lawsuit centers on The Delford at Village Center, described in the report as a 160-unit mixed-use apartment complex at 120 W. Passaic St.

What the lawsuit alleges (not proven in court)

According to the report summarizing the complaint, the developer alleges township leaders and officials used government processes to stop the project from operating, including:

• Withholding certificates of occupancy for the completed building
• Issuing hundreds of daily summonses tied to a single zoning dispute
• Obstructing a daycare application connected to the project
• Using eminent domain proceedings in a way the developer claims caused financial harm

The lawsuit also alleges violations of due process and equal protection, unconstitutional excessive fines, and an illegal regulatory taking, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and a jury trial, the report says.

Rochelle Park responds

In a statement quoted in the same report, Township Administrator Dean Pinto said the township’s position is that developers must adhere to redevelopment agreements they voluntarily enter into, and that “in this case, the developer has not done so.”

Background: an earlier township complaint exists

Separately, a township complaint dated Sept. 11, 2025 (Bergen County docket shown on the document: BER-L-006157-25) outlines a redevelopment framework for 120 West Passaic Street, including a project described as 160 residential units (24 affordable), retail/restaurant space, and an 113,000 sq. ft. self-storage facility.

What readers should know right now

This is an active legal dispute. The developer’s claims are allegations contained in a lawsuit and have not been proven in court. Rochelle Park disputes the developer’s narrative and says it is enforcing redevelopment agreements.