| Lacey Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Map of Lacey Township in Ocean County. Inset: Location of Ocean County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Lacey Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Ocean |
| Incorporated | March 23, 1871 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Mayor | David Most (R, 2008) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 98.5 sq mi (255.2 km2) |
| • Land | 84.0 sq mi (217.6 km2) |
| • Water | 14.5 sq mi (37.6 km2) |
| Elevation[2] | 138 ft (42 m) |
| Population (2010)[3] | |
| • Total | 27,644 |
| • Density | 301.7/sq mi (116.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08731, 08734 |
| Area code(s) | 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-37380[4][5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882072[6] |
| Website | http://www.laceytownship.org |
Lacey Township is a Township in Ocean County, New Jersey and is considered part of the Jersey Shore region. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population had increased to a record high of 27,644. It was named for Continental Army General John Lacey.
Lacey Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1871, from portions of Dover Township (now known as Toms River Township) and Union Township (now Barnegat Township). Portions of the township were taken on June 23, 1933, to form the borough of Island Beach (which is now part of Berkeley Township).[7]
The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station is located in the southern part of the township.
Murray Grove is a Unitarian-Universalist retreat and conference center in Lanoka Harbor, traditionally considered the site where Universalism in America began.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 98.5 square miles (255 km2), of which, 84.0 square miles (218 km2) of it is land and 14.5 square miles (38 km2) of it (14.74%) is water.
Forked River is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lacey Township. The township also contains the unincorporated area of Lanoka Harbor. Bamber Lakes, Laurel Harbor and Sun Rise Harbor are also areas of Lacey Township. The township names its fire stations after the various areas of Lacey Township.
In Lacey Township, the north-south track of the Garden State Parkway serves as an informal use divider under the 1979 Pinelands Act and the subsequent Comprehensive Management Plan. To the east of the Parkway are more than 95% of Lacey's residential dwellings, located in the unincorporated areas of Lanoka Harbor and Forked River. To the Parkway's west is a mostly undisturbed pine and cedar forest, part of New Jersey's vast Pine Barrens. The forest is interspersed with a scattered few farms, houses ranches, the tiny community of Bamber Lake and open pit gravel quarries - all of which predate passage of the Pinelands Act or were developed under its tight zoning rules. The conditions of grandfathering vary - the mines' exceptions are to expire upon the deaths of their owners whereas the farms' exceptions are indefinite. Development west of the parkway is strictly controlled by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission.
Many Ocean County residents commonly refer to all of Lacey Township as Forked River with the first word pronounced with two syllables (FOR-ked or FORK-ed). Pronouncing the first word with one syllable is a sign of a new resident[8][9] or a Benny.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 692 |
|
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| 1940 | 752 | 8.7% | |
| 1950 | 966 | 28.5% | |
| 1960 | 1,940 | 100.8% | |
| 1970 | 4,616 | 137.9% | |
| 1980 | 14,161 | 206.8% | |
| 1990 | 22,141 | 56.4% | |
| 2000 | 25,346 | 14.5% | |
| 2010 | 27,644 | 9.1% | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[10] | |||
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 25,346 people, 9,336 households, and 7,244 families residing in the township. The population density was 301.7 people per square mile (116.5/km²). There were 10,580 housing units at an average density of 126.0 per square mile (48.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.85% White, 0.36% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.15% of the population.
There were 9,336 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.4% were non-families. 18.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $55,938, and the median income for a family was $61,298. Males had a median income of $47,406 versus $30,088 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,136. About 3.7% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
| Manchester Twp | Berkeley Township | |||
| Barnegat Bay | ||||
| Lacey Twp | ||||
| Woodland Twp | Ocean Twp and Barnegat Twp |
Lacey Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[1] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor.
Members of the Township Committee are Mayor Gary Quinn (R, term ends December 31, 2012), Deputy Mayor Mark Dykoff (R, 2012), Sean Sharkey (D, 2013), Dave Most (R, 2011), and Helen DelaCruz (D, 2013).[11][12]
Recent local controversies have surrounded development and land use. In particular, a proposal to build a road on an old railroad right of way behind the ShopRite has been a major issue in town. Other issues involve the lack of water resources to sustain the proposed Home Depot, which opened October 18, 2007 and Wal-Mart.
Lacey Township is in the 3rd Congressional district. 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).
Lacey Township is in the 9th district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Christopher J. Connors (R, Lacey Township) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by DiAnne Gove (R, Long Beach Township) and Brian E. Rumpf (R, Little Egg Harbor Township).[13]
Ocean County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members, elected at large in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Ocean County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari (Toms River, term ends December 31, 2011), Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry P. Little (Surf City, 2012), John C. Bartlett, Jr. (Pine Beach, 2012), John P. Kelly (Eagleswood Township, 2010) and James F. Lacey (Brick Township, 2013).[14][15]
The Lacey Township School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[16]) are three K-4 elementary schools — Cedar Creek School (K-4; 597 students), Forked River School (K-4; 545) and Lanoka Harbor School (K-4; 658) — Mill Pond School for grades 5&6 (, 95) Lacey Township Middle School for grades 7&8 (835) and Lacey Township High School for students in grades 9-12 (1,535).
The township had an annual Night of Lights on the Forked River, which was a boat parade at night in August. Owners dressed up their boats with lights and sailed down the river at night to the Captain's Inn.This has been changed to Rock the River after the family that supported it ran into legal and financial issues. It is now sponsored by local business and organizations.[17]
The Relay for Life is held annually at Gille Park and brings together many residents to donate money towards cancer research. However, in 2010, the Lacey Township Committee did not allow the walk to be held at Gille, and therefore it was moved to Veteran's Park in Bayville.
Lacey has experienced a rapid growth in recent years with the addition of many new developments and new stores being built around town.
A recent example of development is a Wal-Mart.
Lacey is home to many businesses, the largest employer being the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station.
Notable current and former residents of Lacey Township include:
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