Billionaire’s mega-mansion proposal in Montclair meets vigorous opposition

Some residents from the township of Montclair are in an uproar over a proposal to erect a 60,000-square-foot mansion adjacent to the Eagle Rock reservation in Essex County, according to NorthJersey.com, which noted that if built, the “Lloyd Estate” would be larger than the White House and rival President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The outlet reported that Turkish billionaire Melih Abdulhayoglu, founder of Clifton-based cybersecurity firm the Comodo Group, appears to be the owner of the property after his name appeared in building proposal documents recently filed in Montclair. Plans for the sprawling estate reportedly include a billiard room, bowling alley, movie theater, two elevators, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym, spa and an 11-car garage. If approved, the mansion would be similar in size to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates’ own “Xanadu 2.0” estate outside Seattle. NorthJersey.com reported the site of Abdulhayoglu’s proposed palace required the purchase of two separate homes on six acres in Montclair that were both razed in February. The publication reported that local residents have voiced dissension over the destruction when the the pair of properties — a Civil War-era home at 14 Undercliff Road that sold for $3.88 million in January 2018 and a 1907 seven-bedroom mansion at 172 Lloyd Road that traded for $3.4 million last July — were leveled before scheduled meetings with historic preservation and zoning officials. [NorthJersey.com]