Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey

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Mount Laurel Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.

Mount Laurel Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 40,221. It is the home of NFL Films.

Mount Laurel Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1872, from portions of Evesham Township.^[1]

Ramblewood is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Mount Laurel Township.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 56.8 km² (21.9 mi²). 56.5 km² (21.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.55%) is water.

Mount Laurel Township borders Maple Shade Township, Moorestown Township, Willingboro Township, Westampton Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton Township, Medford Township, Evesham Township, and Cherry Hill Township.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 40,221 people, 16,570 households, and 11,068 families residing in the township. The population density was 712.0/km² (1,844.3/mi²). There were 17,163 housing units at an average density of 303.8/km² (787.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.10% White, 6.92% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.

There were 16,570 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $63,750, and the median income for a family was $76,288. Males had a median income of $55,597 versus $37,198 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,245. About 2.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Mount Laurel Township changed its form of government in 1970 from a Township Committee form to a Council-Manager system under the Faulkner Act. In this form of government the Township Manager oversees the daily functions of the Township. The Governing Body consists of five council members, one of whom is chosen to serve as the Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor on an annual basis.

Members of the Mount Laurel Township Committee are Mayor Mark Sanchirico, Deputy Mayor John F. Drinkard, Virginia Devery, Peter R. McCaffrey and Tracy Riley.^[4]

In May 2006, Township Manager Patricia Halbe announced her resignation from the post she held for eleven years.^[5] While Halbe will remain in the title of Municipal Clerk, the Patriot Consulting Group, a local government consulting firm, was retained in June 2006 to conduct a search for Halbe's replacement as Manager.

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Mount Laurel Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th Legislative District.^[6]

New Jersey's Third Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Ocean County, is represented by Jim Saxton (R, Mount Holly). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 8th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Martha W. Bark (R, Mount Laurel) and in the Assembly by Francis L. Bodine (D, Mount Laurel) and Larry Chatzidakis (R, Mount Laurel). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Burlington County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Burlington County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director James K. Wujcik, Deputy Freeholder Director William S. Haines, Jr., Dawn Marie Addiego, Vincent R. Farias and Aubrey A. Fenton.

[edit] Landmarks

Laurel Acres Park is known for its Veteran's Memorial, fishing lake, playground, and enormous grassy hill used for concerts and sledding in the winter, Laurel Acres Park is right along Church Street at Academy Road.

[edit] Education

For Kindergarten through eighth grade, students attend the Mount Laurel Schools. Schools in the district include six K-4 elementary schools — Countryside Elementary School with 379 students and 65 staff members, Fleetwood Elementary School with 359 students and 65 staff members, Hillside Elementary School with 427 students and 65 staff members, Larchmont Elementary School with 416 students and 75 staff members, Parkway Elementary School with 375 students and 65 staff members Springville Elementary School with 447 students and 80 staff members — Mount Laurel Hartford School with 1,052 students in Grades 5 & 6 and 115 staff members and Thomas E. Harrington Middle School with 1,056 students in Grades 7 & 8 and 125 staff members.

Parkway Elementary School was one of four schools in New Jersey recognized by the national Blue Ribbon Schools Program, awarded by the United States Department of Education, for the 2005-06 school year.^[7]

High school students in Mount Laurel Township attend Lenape High School, located in Medford Township, which is part of the Lenape Regional High School District, a regional high school district in Burlington County, New Jersey that serves the eight municipalities of Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township and Woodland Township.

[edit] Transportation

The New Jersey Turnpike passes through Mount Laurel Township. The Turnpike's James Fenimore Cooper rest area is located between Interchanges 4 and 5 northbound at milepost 39.4.^[8]

Interstate 295 passes through the township, with three exits (Exit 36: Berlin/Tacony Bridge/Route 73, Exit 40: Moorestown/Mount Holly/Route 38, Exit 43: Delran/Rancocas Woods). Two other major thoroughfares through Mount Laurel are Route 38 and Route 73.

[edit] See also

• Mount Laurel Decision - A doctrine that requires New Jersey municipalities to use their zoning powers to foster the creation of affordable housing. The doctrine takes its name from the lead case in which it was first pronounced by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1975: Southern Burlington County N.A.A.C.P. v. Mount Laurel Township (commonly called Mount Laurel I), in which the plaintiffs challenged Mount Laurel's zoning ordinance on the grounds that it operated to exclude low and moderate income persons from obtaining housing in the municipality.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Mount Laurel Township website
• Mount Laurel Schools
• Mount Laurel Schools's 2005-06 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• National Center for Education Statistics data for the Mount Laurel Schools
• Lenape Regional High School District
• Mount Laurel Public Library

v • d • e Municipalities of Burlington County, New Jersey (County seat: Mount Holly Township)
Boroughs	Fieldsboro | Medford Lakes | Palmyra | Pemberton | Riverton | Wrightstown
Cities	Beverly | Bordentown | Burlington
Townships	Bass River | Bordentown | Burlington | Chesterfield | Cinnaminson | Delanco | Delran | Eastampton | Edgewater Park | Evesham | Florence | Hainesport | Lumberton | Mansfield | Maple Shade | Medford | Moorestown | Mount Holly | Mount Laurel | New Hanover | North Hanover | Pemberton | Riverside | Shamong | Southampton | Springfield | Tabernacle | Washington | Westampton | Willingboro | Woodland
CDPs and other communities	Browns Mills | Chatsworth | Country Lake Estates | Florence-Roebling | Fort Dix | Leisuretowne | Marlton CDP | McGuire Air Force Base | Moorestown-Lenola | |New Gretna | Pemberton Heights | Presidential Lakes Estates | Ramblewood