| Cherry Hill, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Township of Cherry Hill | |
| Motto: You couldn't pick a better place. | |
| Location of Cherry Hill Township in Camden County. | |
| Census Bureau map of Cherry Hill, New Jersey. | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Camden |
| Incorporated | February 28, 1844, as Delaware Township |
| Renamed | November 7, 1961, to Cherry Hill Township |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Bernard A. Platt (D, 2011)[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24.4 sq mi (63.1 km2) |
| • Land | 24.2 sq mi (62.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation[2] | 82 ft (25 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[3] | |
| • Total | 71,045 |
| • Density | 2,911.7/sq mi (1,125.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code(s) | 08002, 08003, 08034 |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-12280[4][5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882155[6] |
| Website | http://www.cherryhill-nj.com |
Cherry Hill is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township had a population of 71,045,[3] representing an increase of 1,080 from the 69,965 residents enumerated during the 2000 Census. The township ranked as the 14th largest municipality in the state in 2010 after having been ranked 13th in 2000.[7]
Cherry Hill is in the Delaware Valley coastal plain about five miles (8 km) southeast of Philadelphia. Cherry Hill is considered an edge city of Philadelphia.[8]
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The area now known as Cherry Hill was originally settled by the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans who coexisted peacefully with the first settlers from England, Quaker followers of William Penn who arrived in the late 17th century.[9] The first settlement was a small cluster of homes named Colestown, in the perimeters of what is now the Colestown Cemetery on the corner of Route 41 (King's Highway) and Church Road. The municipality was founded on February 25, 1844, in Gloucester County as Delaware Township from half of the area of Waterford Township, and became part of Camden County at its creation some two weeks later on March 13, 1844.[10] At its territorial peak, Delaware Township was composed of modern-day North Camden, present-day Cherry Hill, Merchantville, and Pennsauken (including Petty's Island in the Delaware River).
The township grew explosively after World War II, and continued to grow until the 1980s. Today, the municipality's population is stable with new development generally occurring in pockets of custom luxury homes or through the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of commercial and industrial areas.
Cherry Hill was a 19th-century farm on Kaighn Avenue/Route 38 which was owned by Abraham Browning. The farm property later became the Cherry Hill Inn (now an AMC-Loews movie theater complex), as well as an RCA office campus (now a shopping center), and today's Cherry Hill Towers and Cherry Hill Estates housing developments.[11]
Adding to the prevalence of the Cherry Hill name, developer Eugene Mori branded several properties similarly, including the Cherry Hill Inn and Cherry Hill Lodge hotels, Cherry Hill Apartments, and Cherry Hill Estates.[12] Cherry Hill Shopping Center (now known as Cherry Hill Mall) opened in 1961 opposite the old Cherry Hill Farm site, featuring 75 stores all in a single enclosed space.[13]
In time, the township also sought a new post office, but another New Jersey town already claimed the name Delaware Township. The postal service suggested a name change, and Delaware Township mayors Christian Weber and John Gilmour pursued public write-in campaigns to select possible titles. The name 'Cherry Hill' was chosen by the township's citizens in a non-binding referendum in 1961, and was officially adopted November 7, 1961.[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63.1 km²), of which, 24.2 square miles (62.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.45%) is water.
Seven census-designated places or unincorporated areas are located within the township: Ashland, Barclay-Kingston, Cherry Hill Mall, Erlton-Ellisburg, Golden Triangle, Greentree and Springdale. Woodcrest is one of Cherry Hill's oldest neighborhoods.
Cherry Hill's eastern border with Burlington County is defined by the Pennsauken Creek. The creek separates Cherry Hill from the communities of Maple Shade Township, Evesham Township (or colloquially, 'Marlton'), and Mount Laurel Township.
The Cooper River forms the southern border with Haddon Township, Haddonfield Borough, and Lawnside Borough, through the Maria Barnaby Greenwald Park and parallel to the east-west Route 70.
To the north, Cherry Hill borders Merchantville Borough and Pennsauken Township, while Voorhees Township shares its southern border along County Route 544 (Evesham Road).
Cherry Hill has a humid subtropical climate, with cool to cold winters and hot, humid summers.
| Climate data for Cherry Hill | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 41 (5) |
46 (8) |
55 (13) |
66 (19) |
76 (24) |
84 (29) |
88 (31) |
86 (30) |
79 (26) |
68 (20) |
56 (13) |
46 (8) |
65.9 (18.8) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 23 (−5) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
41 (5) |
50 (10) |
60 (16) |
65 (18) |
63 (17) |
56 (13) |
44 (7) |
36 (2) |
28 (−2) |
43.6 (6.4) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 3.90 (99.1) |
2.95 (74.9) |
4.17 (105.9) |
4.02 (102.1) |
4.36 (110.7) |
3.93 (99.8) |
4.84 (122.9) |
5.18 (131.6) |
4.17 (105.9) |
3.53 (89.7) |
3.51 (89.2) |
3.69 (93.7) |
48.25 (1,225.6) |
| Source: [14] | |||||||||||||
Pinnacle Foods, Subaru of America and TD Bank, N.A. have headquarters in Cherry Hill.[15][16][17]
Most adult citizens of Cherry Hill work elsewhere. Cherry Hill is a "bedroom community" within a one hour commute to Philadelphia, Camden, Trenton, and Princeton. A lesser number of individuals commute to Atlantic City.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 5,734 |
|
|
| 1940 | 5,811 | 1.3% | |
| 1950 | 10,358 | 78.2% | |
| 1960 | 31,522 | 204.3% | |
| 1970 | 64,395 | 104.3% | |
| 1980 | 68,785 | 6.8% | |
| 1990 | 69,348 | 0.8% | |
| 2000 | 69,965 | 0.9% | |
| 2010 | 71,045 | 1.5% | |
| Population sources: 1930 - 1990[18] 2000[19] 2010[3][7] |
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As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 69,965 people, 26,227 households, and 19,407 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,884.9 people per square mile (1,114.0/km²). There were 27,074 housing units at an average density of 1,116.4 per square mile (431.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 84.67% White, 8.87% Asian, 4.46% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.70% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.[19]
There were 26,227 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.[19]
In the township the population was spread out with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.[19]
According to a 2010 estimate, the median income for a household in the township was $87,392, and the median income for a family was $104,983. Males had a median income of $82,325 versus $49,129 for females. The per capita income for the township was $43,192. About 2.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.[19]
Created as Delaware Township in 1844, the community was first governed by a Township Committee. On May 19, 1951, the citizens adopted, in a special election, a Walsh Act Commission form of government, consisting of a three-member Board of Commissioners. In 1962, the Township's population passed the 30,000 mark and two additional Commissioners were elected. Following a study made by a Citizen's Advisory Committee, a special election was held in 1962.[20]
The Township voted to change its form of government to the Council-Manager Plan A under the Faulkner Act. Five Council members were elected at-large in a May election to serve concurrent four-year terms. The Council members elected one of their own as Mayor, but a Township Manager served as the Chief Administrator of the Township.[20]
By 1975, after a Charter Study Commission report and the passage of a ballot referendum, the township adopted the Council-Manager Plan B form of government. Two features of the government were changed: council members were to be elected every two years for overlapping terms of four years and the number of Council members would increase from five to seven.[20]
After a 1981 referendum, the government changed yet again, this time to a Mayor-Council Plan B form of government. A full-time 'strong' mayor was elected directly by the people and seven Council members were elected at-large for staggered four-year terms.[20][21]
The most recent change, resulting from a ballot referendum in November 1986, changed the elections from a non-partisan May election to a partisan November election.[20]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of Cherry Hill is Bernard A. Platt (D).[22] Members of the Township Council are Council President Dave Fleisher, Council Vice President Sara Lipsett, N. John Amato, Jim Bannar, Dennis Garbowski and Susan Shin Angulo.[23]
Former mayors include Arthur Simons 2002-2003 (D), Susan Bass Levin 1988-2002 (D), Maria Barnaby Greenwald 1977-79 and 1981-1987 (D), Bernard A. Platt (first term) 1979-1980 (D), Howard Gall 1980-81 (D), John A. Rocco 1975-77 (R), John Holden 1971-1975 (D), and John Gilmour Jr. 1962-1971 (R).
Cherry Hill Township is in the 3rd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district.[24] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[3]
New Jersey's Third Congressional District is represented by Jon Runyan (R, Mount Laurel Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
6th District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by James Beach (D, Voorhees Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D, Voorhees Township) and Pamela Rosen Lampitt (D, Cherry Hill).[25] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[26] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[27]
Camden County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, its seven members elected at-large to three-year terms office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[28] As of 2011, Camden County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Collingswood, term ends December 31, 2011)[29], Freeholder Deputy Director Edward McDonnell (Pennsauken Township, 2013)[30], Riletta L. Cream (Camden, 2011)[31], Rodney A. Greco (Gloucester Township, 2012)[32], Ian K. Leonard (Camden, 2012)[33], Jeffrey L. Nash (Cherry Hill, 2012)[34] and Carmen Rodriguez (Merchantville, 2013).[35][36][37][38]
The Cherry Hill Police Department (CHPD) is the second largest police department in the tri-county area. It employs over 130 sworn officers as well as 21 civilians. The current chief of the department is Rick Del Campo. The department's TRT (Tactical Response Team) responds to requests for the service of high risk warrants, the resolving of barricaded and/or hostage situations, and dealing with suicidal individuals just to name a few of their assignments. TRT responds to requests for mutual aid throughout the tri-county area as needed. CHPD is home to its own 9-1-1 public safety answering point (PSAP), when a resident of the township dials 9-1-1 they are routed directly to the CHPD, which provides a significant advantage in response time to the caller, the 9-1-1 center is the hub of the department's 800 Mhz Digital Radio System, as well as an advanced CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) system, and RMS (Records Management System). Both systems work together to provide patrol units up to date information directly to their patrol car computers. CHPD's Community Policing Unit provides many services for residents including child fingerprinting, neighborhood watches, and drug & alcohol awareness seminars.[39]
The Cherry Hill Fire Department consists of 8 fire companies, including the Cherry Hill Fire Police Unit, along with several units spread throughout the town. The fire chief is Robert Giorgio, who was appointed in 2001. The department also has emergency medical services (EMS). The only hospital in Cherry Hill is Kennedy Memorial Hospital, located on Chapel Avenue. Residents also have access to nearby Virtua Hospitals, in Voorhees, Marlton and Berlin.
The Cherry Hill Public Schools operates 19 schools including an early childhood center, twelve elementary schools, three middle schools, two traditional high schools, and an alternative high school. With a student population of approximately 12,000, Cherry Hill's is the 12th-largest school district in the state of New Jersey and one of the largest suburban districts.[40] The district has grown by about 2,000 students since the late 1990s, and employs 1,400 (about 1,000 teachers plus administration and staff). The District is governed by a volunteer Board of Education which consists of nine citizens elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year.
For the 2001-02 school year, Cherry Hill High School East received the Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education.[41] Three of the district's schools have been named as "Star Schools" by the New Jersey Department of Education: Cherry Hill High School East (1999–2000),[42] Thomas Paine Elementary School (2002–03)[43] and Clara Barton Elementary School (2003–04).[44] Also, Cherry Hill High School West began offering the International Baccalaureate Program in 2001. This program remained in Cherry Hill High School West until it was phased out after the 2007-2008 school year. The district has five Best Practices Award Winners. SAT scores far exceed state and national averages, with Cherry Hill High School East's average SAT score of 1668, ranking 41st in the state, and West's 1,529 average ranking 124th in New Jersey, out of 349 schools with students taking the test that year.[45] In 2010, the graduation rate approached 100% (98.3% for East, and 99.7% for West, in 2009-10) and approximately 95% of graduates are continuing their education at two- or four-year colleges (95.3% for East and 90.7% for West in 2009-10).[46][47] In Newsweek's America's Best High Schools: The List for 2010, Cherry Hill West was ranked 1441 and Cherry Hill East was ranked 1559, placing them both in the top 6% of all public schools in the U.S.[48]
Cherry Hill's school district offered the certificate and diploma program at Cherry Hill West which ended at the conclusion of the 2007-08 school year. The IB Primary Years Programme is offered at Bret Harte, Joseph D. Sharp, James F. Cooper and Thomas Paine Elementary Schools. This program is also a part of the IB Middle Years Programme offered for grades 6-8 at Rosa International Middle School (RIMS).[49]
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden operates Resurrection School, a Pre-K to 8 elementary school resulting of the merger of St. Peter Celestine School and Queen of Heaven School, as well as Camden Catholic High School for grades 9-12.[50]
The King's Christian School is a private Christian fully accredited PreK-12 institution founded as the Christian Day School of Camden County in 1946.
Politz Day School is a private Jewish day school serving early childhood through middle school students. The school is co-located with and supported by Congregation Sons of Israel.
Camden County College operates one of its three campuses at the William G. Rohrer Center at Route 70 East and Springdale Road.
The Cherry Hill Public Library is an agency of the Township's municipal government. At 72,000 square feet (6,700 m2), Cherry Hill's library is among the largest municipal libraries in New Jersey. The current facility was completed in December 2004 to replace the 1966 Malcolm Wells-designed structure at 1100 King's Highway North.[51]
Cherry Hill has 51 public parks, plus three parks owned by Camden County. Most parks have playground equipment, basketball courts, tennis courts, walking paths, and athletic fields. Croft Farm, which was originally a working mill and farm, is the only park with an arts center. It was originally built in 1753, and is a historic landmark in Cherry Hill. The farmhouse underwent many changes throughout the years, including an expansion in 1816. The property was sold to the township in 1985. It was formed into the Cherry Hill Arts Center in 1995, which serves the community for art classes, seminars, and concerts produced by the Cherry Hill Recreation Department.[52]
Woodcrest Country Club and Merchantville Country Club are private country clubs in Cherry Hill.
The New Jersey Turnpike passes through Cherry Hill Township. The Walt Whitman rest area (southbound at milepost 30.2) is located in the township, but the closest interchange is Exit 4 in neighboring Mount Laurel Township.[53]
New Jersey Transit bus service is available to Philadelphia on the 317, 318 (Seasonal), 404, 405, 406, 407 and 409 routes, with local service on the 450, 451, 455 and 457 routes.[54]
Interstate 295 has three exits in the township. Exit 34A/B is Route 70 (Marlton Pike); exit 32 is CR 561 (Haddonfield-Berlin Road); and exit 31 goes directly to the Woodcrest station of the PATCO high-speed commuter rail line, which travels from 15-16th & Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Lindenwold.
Other major highways in Cherry Hill include Route 38, Route 41, and Route 154.
Several New Jersey Transit bus routes also pass through or stop in the township. The NJT Atlantic City Line, traveling on the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line route, stops at the Cherry Hill station, located on the west side of the tracks between the Garden State Pavilion shopping center and the newer development on the grounds of the former Garden State Racetrack.
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