| South Brunswick Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Location of South Brunswick Township within Middlesex County. | |
| Census Bureau map of South Brunswick Township, New Jersey. | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Middlesex |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) |
| • Mayor | Frank Gambatese (term ends 2015)[1] |
| • Manager | Matthew U. Watkins[2] |
| Area[3] | |
| • Total | 41.10 sq mi (106.4 km2) |
| • Land | 40.86 sq mi (105.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.24 sq mi (0.6 km2) 0.58% |
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[4] | |
| • Total | 43,417 |
| • Density | 1,056.4/sq mi (408.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 08810 - Dayton 08824 - Kendall Park 08852 - Monmouth Junction - 08540 - Kingston[5] |
| Area code(s) | 732/848 and 609 |
| FIPS code | 34-68790[6][7] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882162[8] |
| Website | http://www.twp.south-brunswick.nj.us |
South Brunswick Township is a Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 43,417.[4]
South Brunswick was first mentioned on February 28, 1778, in Freeholder minutes as being formed from New Brunswick Township. It was formally incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township have been taken to form Cranbury Township (March 7, 1872) and Plainsboro Township (April 1, 1919).[9]
CNNMoney.com ranked South Brunswick Township 22nd on its 2011 list of the "Best Places to Live", featuring its picks of the best small towns in the United States.[10]
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 41.10 square miles (106.4 km2), of which, 40.86 square miles (105.8 km2) of it is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km2) of it (0.58%) is water.[3]
The township encompasses the census-designated places of Dayton (2000 Census population of 6,235), Heathcote (4,755), Kendall Park (9,006), Kingston (1,292) and Monmouth Junction (2,721).[3] Deans is an unincorporated area within the Township. Kingston has been designated as a Village Center by the New Jersey State Planning Commission and is overseen by an advisory commission that consists of seven members from Franklin Township and South Brunswick.[11]
The Lawrence Brook, a tributary of the Raritan River, flows through the township.
Kingston's location on the Lenape Assunpink Trail where it crossed the Millstone River was the prime factor in its early prominence. Kingston was by far the most active and important village, being situated on both the heavily traveled King's Road and Millstone River, combining commercial activities of both mills and taverns. The Kingston Village Advisory Committee, jointly appointed by the South Brunswick and Franklin Township Councils, reports to the Township Council on matters of concern to residents of Kingston.[12]
Dayton was first known simply as The Cross Roads, where James Whitlock built a tavern on Georges Road around 1750. Early enterprises included a brick manufacturer and large nursery. In 1866, the name was changed from Cross Roads to Dayton, in honor of William L. Dayton, an attorney for the Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad. Dayton had helped settle disputes arising from the location of a railroad right-of-way. He was later a United States Senator, was the first Republican nominee for Vice President (in 1856), and Minister to France.[13]
Deans originated from its location on both Crosswicknung Trail (Georges Road) and Lawrence Brook. Dams were built on the brook, creating Deans Pond.[13]
Monmouth Junction was created as the junction of three rail branches, the New York division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the Rocky Hill and the Jamesburg and Freehold.[13]
With increased mobility and a growing population, the suburban style residential development was born after the World War II and Kendall Park was begun in the 1950s. Kendall Park is located right off Route 27, the old Indian trail and major thoroughfare of earlier centuries.
Pigeon Swamp State Park is a New Jersey state park located on Deans Rhode Hall Road (Middlesex CR-610). The park has 1,078 acres (4.36 km2) of undeveloped land.
| Franklin Township | North Brunswick Twp | East Brunswick Township | ||
| Princeton Twp | ||||
| South Brunswick | ||||
| Plainsboro Twp | Cranbury Twp | Monroe Township |
South Brunswick is in the humid continental climate zone. Average Winter-time high temperatures range from 38-43 degrees Fahrenheit, and the lows range from 19-24 degrees with the record low being -16 degrees. Average summer-time high temperatures range from 84-87 degrees Fahrenheit, though temperatures exceed 90 degrees often with the record high being 105 degrees. The lows range from 63-67 degrees. South Brunswick can receive much snow during the winter months, sometimes up to 3 feet. About 4-5 inches of rain falls every month, and is evenly spread throughout the year, though the area can go through long periods of drought or long-lasting periods with little to no rain. During winter and early spring, South Brunswick can in some years experience "nor'easters", which are capable of causing blizzards or flooding throughout the northeastern United States. Hurricanes and tropical storms (such as Hurricane Floyd in 1999), tornadoes and earthquakes are rare.
| Climate data for South Brunswick Township(Dayton), New Jersey | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 39 (4) |
41 (5) |
50 (10) |
61 (16) |
72 (22) |
80 (27) |
85 (29) |
84 (29) |
77 (25) |
65 (18) |
54 (12) |
43 (6) |
62.5 (16.9) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 21 (−6) |
23 (−5) |
31 (−1) |
40 (4) |
50 (10) |
59 (15) |
64 (18) |
63 (17) |
55 (13) |
43 (6) |
35 (2) |
27 (−3) |
42.6 (5.9) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 4.10 (104.1) |
2.98 (75.7) |
4.11 (104.4) |
4.08 (103.6) |
4.57 (116.1) |
3.86 (98) |
4.97 (126.2) |
4.46 (113.3) |
4.38 (111.3) |
3.39 (86.1) |
3.95 (100.3) |
3.93 (99.8) |
48.78 (1,239) |
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 2,758 |
|
|
| 1940 | 3,129 | 13.5% | |
| 1950 | 4,001 | 27.9% | |
| 1960 | 10,278 | 156.9% | |
| 1970 | 14,058 | 36.8% | |
| 1980 | 17,127 | 21.8% | |
| 1990 | 25,792 | 50.6% | |
| 2000 | 37,734 | 46.3% | |
| 2010 | 43,417 | 15.1% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[14][15] 2000[16] 2010[4][17] |
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As of the 2010 Census, South Brunswick had a population of 43,417. The median age was 38.6. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 52.1% White, 7.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 35.9% Asian, 1.5% some other race and 2.6% reporting two or more races. 6.0% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[17]
As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 37,734 people, 13,428 households, and 10,084 families residing in the township. The population density was 923.5 people per square mile (356.6/km²). There were 13,862 housing units at an average density of 339.3 per square mile (131.0/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 70.49% White, 7.88% African American, 0.13% Native American, 18.04% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.37% from other races, and 2.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.08% of the population.[16]
As of the 2000 census, 10.48% of South Brunswick's residents identified themselves as being of Indian American ancestry, which was the seventh highest of any municipality in the United States and the fourth highest in New Jersey — behind Edison (17.75%), Plainsboro Township (16.97%) and Piscataway Township (12.49%) — of all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry.[18]
There were 13,428 households out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.27.[16]
In the township the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.[16]
The median income for a household in the township was $78,737, and the median income for a family was $86,891. Males had a median income of $61,637 versus $41,554 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,104. About 2.1% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.[16]
South Brunswick Township operates under the Faulkner Act (Council-Manager) form of municipal government.[19] Members of the Township Council are elected to four-year terms in partisan elections on a staggered basis.
Members of the Township Council are Mayor Frank Gambatese (D; term ends December 31, 2014), Deputy Mayor Chris Killmurray (D; 2014), Joseph J. Camarota Jr. (D; 2012), Charlie Carley (D; 2012), and John O'Sullivan (R; 2012).[20][21][22]
South Brunswick Township is in the 12th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 14th state legislative district.[23] The township was relocated to the 16th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[4] The new district was in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.[23]
New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District is represented by Rush D. Holt, Jr. (D, Hopewell Township).[24] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
14th district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the Senate by Linda R. Greenstein (D, Plainsboro Township and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Daniel R. Benson (D, Hamilton Township) and Wayne DeAngelo (D, Hamilton Township).[25] The New Jersey Senate seat, which was vacant after the resignation of Bill Baroni, was filled by Tom Goodwin (R, Hamilton Township) on March 15, 2010. In a special election held to fill the remainder of Baroni's term, Goodwin lost re-election to then Assemblywoman Greenstein.[26] Benson was chosen to fill Greenstein's vacancy in the Assembly.[27] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[28] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[29]
Middlesex County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2010 , Middlesex County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Christopher D. Rafano (South River), Freeholder Deputy Director Ronald G. Rios (Carteret), Carol Barrett Ballante (Monmouth Junction), Stephen J. "Pete" Dalina (Fords), H. James Polos (Highland Park), Mildred Scott (Piscataway) and Blanquita B. Valenti (New Brunswick). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Elaine M. Flynn (Old Bridge Township), Sheriff Mildred S. Scott (Piscataway) and Surrogate Kevin J. Hoagland (New Brunswick).[30]
South Brunswick Township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1798.[9] In the 18th and 19th centuries, the community was primarily agricultural. The Straight Turnpike, now U.S. Route 1, was constructed in 1804.[31]
In 1872, the Legislature first reduced the size of South Brunswick with the creation of the separate Cranbury Township from the southern portion of South Brunswick. In 1885, it redefined and enlarged the boundaries of Cranbury, and in 1919, the size of South Brunswick was further reduced with the formation of Plainsboro Township. The present boundaries of South Brunswick date back to this last change.
20th century South Brunswick has seen extensive transformation with the impact of American industrial technology. The New Brunswick and Trenton Fast Line began operation in 1900, a trolley line running parallel to the Old Straight Turnpike of 1804 (Route 1), intersecting George's Road just north of the Five Corners intersection in Dayton. This trolley provided daily passenger and freight service, stopping at a local crossroads. The New Jersey Turnpike opened in 1951, again roughly parallel to Route 1, on the eastern edge of the Township. One effect of the Turnpike opening up Interchange 8A (just outside the township) was the transformation of the agricultural area on the southeast corner of South Brunswick to that of a burgeoning industrial development. As of 2011, the majority of land between Route 130 and the turnpike consists largely of warehouses.
In 1980, the Township population approached 18,000. In 1990, this figure reached 25,792 and by 2010, South Brunswick had over 43,000 residents. Much of the township's 42 square miles (110 km2) remain undeveloped and there are still significant amounts of wetlands, woodlands and open space within the community.
South Brunswick hosts U.S. Route 1, U.S. Route 130, Route 27, Route 32, and Interstate 95 (the New Jersey Turnpike). A few county routes, such as 535 and 522, pass through the town. US 1 passes through in the western part while US 130 runs through the center-eastern part. Near the intersection of Route 32 and 130, there is a park and ride, where commuters can take buses to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Other limited access roads that are accessible outside the township include Interstate 287 in neighboring Franklin Township.
South Brunswick houses about a 3½ mile section of the New Jersey Turnpike in the eastern part, and a few Turnpike ramps that lead to the toll gate for Interchange 8A which is just outside of the municipality in Monroe Township. Due to heavy congestion on the ramp to Route 32 west, the Turnpike Authority replaced it with a new two lane ramp that goes from the toll gate to the intersection of CR 535 and Thatcher Road. Motorists must then take 535 south to access 32 west.
On December 1, 2004, plans were announced to widen the dual-dual setup of the turnpike from Interchange 8A in Monroe Township to Interchange 6 in Mansfield Township. This plan also proposes to add another lane on the outer truck lanes from Interchange 8A to Interchange 9 in East Brunswick Township.
A couple of proposed Turnpike Authority maintained roads were to traverse South Brunswick. The first was the Driscoll Expressway which was to start from the Garden State Parkway at exit 80 in Toms River and end 3 miles north of exit 8A along the turnpike in South Brunswick. This was cancelled in the 1980s. The other proposed road was an west-east spur, Route 92. While the majority of the spur was to be in South Brunswick, it was to begin at US 1, just north of the intersection with Ridge Road in South Brunswick and terminate at the tollgate for Exit 8A in Monroe Township. However this was cancelled on December 1, 2006.[32]
Playmobil USA, subsidiary of the Brandstätter Group, has its headquarters in Dayton in the township.[33]
The South Brunswick Public Schools serves students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. The district has grown substantially in recent decades, with high school enrollment doubling to nearly 2,000 in the decade to 2001, and increasing by another 1,000 in the subsequent decade.[5][34] Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[35]) are seven elementary schools (K-5, except as indicated) — Brooks Crossing Elementary School (841 students), Brunswick Acres Elementary School (556; includes PreK), Cambridge Elementary School (571), Constable Elementary School (568; includes PreK), Greenbrook Elementary School (462), Indian Field Elementary School (680) and Monmouth Junction Elementary School (385) — Crossroads Middle Schools North and South (1,011 and 1,153 respectively) for grades 6-8 and South Brunswick High School (2,739) for grades 9-12
Noted current and former residents of South Brunswick include:
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