South Bound Brook, New Jersey

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Map of South Bound Brook in Somerset County
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Map of South Bound Brook in Somerset County

South Bound Brook is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,492.

Contents

[edit] Geography

South Bound Brook is located at 40°33′14″N, 74°31′47″W (40.553803, -74.529761)GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.0 km² (0.8 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 4,492 people, 1,632 households, and 1,103 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,223.6/km² (5,765.3/mi²). There were 1,676 housing units at an average density of 829.6/km² (2,151.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 78.01% White, 7.77% African American, 0.27% Native American, 4.10% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.57% from other races, and 3.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 22.89% of the population.

There were 1,632 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the borough the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 36.2% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 105.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.4 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $48,984, and the median income for a family was $58,214. Males had a median income of $36,955 versus $30,082 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $21,131. About 3.6% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Mayor of South Bound Brook is Tamas (Tom) Ormosi. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Terry Warrelman, Dennis Quinlan, Anthony Godleski, Ronald Henry, James D. Murphy and Richard Eikohorst.[1]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

South Bound Brook is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.[2]

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 16th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Walter Kavanaugh (R, Somerville) and in the Assembly by Christopher Bateman (R, Somerville) and Peter J. Biondi (R, Somerville). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Somerset County's Freeholders are: Freeholder Director Rick Fontana, Freeholder Deputy Director Ken Scherer, Denise Coyle, Peter S. Palmer and Robert Zaborowski.

[edit] Education

The South Bound Brook School District serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade at Robert Morris School.

For grades 9-12, students attend Bound Brook High School in Bound Brook, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Bound Brook School District.

[edit] History

Originally part of Franklin Township and named Bloomington, South Bound Brook was incorporated as a borough by the New Jersey Legislature in 1907.

The area was originally a Dutch community with apple orchards and just west peach orchards. The Von Steuben house (1600?), located on the south side of Main Street, served as the headquarters of Baron Von Steuben during the American Revolutionary War. The house today is privately owned.

The Reformed Church, also on Main Street (near borough hall) was built in 1848 and has been declared a local historical site by the borough council. Originally called the Dutch Reformed Church of Bound Brook it has gone through very few changes over the years. The one sad removal was a pipe organ received from Andrew Carnegie; and the stained glass windows, which had been added well after the original construction.

In the mid-1970s a teen from the town created a plan for an environmental commission and presented it to the council. James Manning got his commission and the first order of business was to find out what the white piles of waste on the tow path between the Delaware and Raritan Canal and Raritan River consisted of. It turned out to be 17% crystal asbestos by volume. Since there was no NJ State regulation for the disposal, this became a landmark case. The waste was hauled in dump trucks through Bound Brook to the floodplain south of West Main Street and dumped. A trail of asbestos dust led from the old dump site to the new dump location.

[edit] Redevelopment

The main downtown street in South Bound Brook, known as Main Street, has been refurbished with new sidewalks, lighting, signage and a number of newly renovated stores.

A roofing material manufacturing facility known as GAF Manufacturing was located in South Bound Brook for over a century along Main Street. The site was dormant for about two decades and sat as an eyesore and reminder of the town's industrial past. New town homes have been built on the GAF Manufacturing site, along the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which provide the downtown area a new modern look and many new residents.

Part of the redevelopment is being held up by a lawsuit over the right of eminent domain, as the town tries to seize property along Main Street that is in front of the new townhomes. The redevelopment plan called for the older stores to be razed and replaced with new stores that had parking in back and a dozen rental apartments on the second floor.

A new 55 and older condominium development is also being built along Elizabeth Avenue in the central part of town.

[edit] Points of Interest

The main attraction in South Bound Brook is the Delaware and Raritan Canal, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries of the town. The canal and the canal's tow path are used for numerous recreational purposes. Also of note is the Raritan River which lies on the other side of the canal and provides further recreational opportunities.

[edit] Flooding Issues

While South Bound Brook does not have the legacy of flooding that its sister town Bound Brook on the north bank of the Raritan River has, flooding can be a problem in South Bound Brook during major river flooding events, such as a 100-year flood event. In September 1999 the remnants of Hurricane Floyd caused a record flood crest on the Raritan River. While escaping the worst flooding, due to its elevated perch above the Raritan River, South Bound Brook did experience flood waters in the two to three foot range near the canal, including in portions of the downtown area along Main Street.

[edit] Transportation

Interstate 287, which provides access and connections to large parts of New Jersey and New York is located very near the western boundary of South Bound Brook and provides two local interchanges. New Jersey Transit provides frequent train service on the Raritan Valley Line to/from Newark and New York via the nearby Bound Brook Train Station, which is about a five to ten minute walk from downtown South Bound Brook.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Somerset County page for South Bound Brook, accessed November 16, 2006
  2. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 64, accessed August 30, 2006

[edit] External links

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Municipalities of Somerset County, New Jersey
(County Seat: Somerville)
Boroughs Bernardsville | Bound Brook | Far Hills | Manville | Millstone | North Plainfield | Peapack-Gladstone | Raritan | Rocky Hill | Somerville | South Bound Brook | Watchung
Townships Bedminster | Bernards | Branchburg | Bridgewater | Franklin | Green Brook | Hillsborough | Montgomery | Warren
Communities Basking Ridge | Belle Mead | Blackwells Mills | Blawenburg | East Millstone | Flagtown | Griggstown | Harlingen | Lamington | Martinsville | Middlebush | Neshanic | North Branch | Pleasant Plains | Six Mile Run | Somerset | South Branch | Zarephath
Historic Houses Meadows Foundation | Old Dutch Parsonage | Wallace House
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