| Township of Washington, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Nickname(s): Washington Township | |
| Map highlighting the Township of Washington's location within Bergen County. Inset: Bergen County's location within New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of the Township of Washington, Bergen County, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Bergen |
| Incorporated | April 13, 1840 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) |
| • Mayor | Janet Sobkowicz |
| • Administrator | Lillly Chin (acting)[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.0 sq mi (7.7 km2) |
| • Land | 2.9 sq mi (7.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation[2] | 79 ft (24 m) |
| Population (2010)[3] | |
| • Total | 9,102 |
| • Density | 3,061.6/sq mi (1,182.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07676 |
| Area code(s) | 201 |
| FIPS code | 34-77135[4][5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882311[6] |
| Website | http://www.twpofwashington.us/ |
The Township of Washington, more commonly known as Washington Township, is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 9,102.[3]
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The Township of Washington is located at (40.991253, -74.059843).[7]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km2), of which 2.9 square miles (7.5 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 1.69%, is water.
The township is located in the northern portion of Bergen County, which in turn is in the far northeastern corner of New Jersey, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of New York City.
It is within the Hackensack River watershed, which comprises Musquapsink Brook, Schlegel Lake, Pascack Brook, Oradell Reservoir, Woodcliff Lake Reservoir, and Lake Tappan.
The township is located within the Pascack Valley of north-central Bergen County. Elevations rise gradually in an east to west/south to north trajectory, and range anywhere from 50 feet (15 m) or less in the wooded swamplands behind Westwood Regional High School to approximately 360 feet (110 m) just west of Van Emburgh Avenue. Three hills are in the township: at the border of Westwood, west of Pascack Road, and again west of Van Emburgh Avenue. Being higher in elevation, it is slightly cooler and less prone to flooding then the rest of the valley and other parts of northwestern Bergen County.
The southern end of the township bordering Paramus and Emerson is wooded wetlands at the convergence of Musquapsink Brook and three cemeteries, and has consistently the densest overnight and morning fog in the area.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,807 |
|
|
| 1860 | 2,273 | 25.8% | |
| 1870 | 2,514 | 10.6% | |
| 1880 | 2,853 | 13.5% | |
| 1890 | 2,942 | * | 3.1% |
| 1900 | 782 | * | −73.4% |
| 1910 | 100 | * | −87.2% |
| 1920 | 194 | 94.0% | |
| 1930 | 402 | 107.2% | |
| 1940 | 491 | 22.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,208 | 146.0% | |
| 1960 | 6,654 | 450.8% | |
| 1970 | 10,577 | 59.0% | |
| 1980 | 9,550 | −9.7% | |
| 1990 | 9,245 | −3.2% | |
| 2000 | 8,938 | −3.3% | |
| 2010 | 9,102 | 1.8% | |
| * lost territory Sources [8][9][10][11][12] |
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As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 8,938 people, 3,219 households, and 2,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,071.1 people per square mile (1,185.9/km2). There were 3,245 housing units at an average density of 1,115.0 per square mile (430.6/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 92.07% White, 0.98% African American, 0.04% Native American, 5.57% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.35% of the population.
There were 3,219 households out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.2% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.5% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the township the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $83,694, and the median income for a family was $88,017. Males had a median income of $67,090 versus $41,699 for females. The per capita income for the township was $39,248. About 1.5% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
The Township of Washington is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government by a mayor and a five-member Township Council.[13]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of the township is Janet Sobkowicz, who had been a councilwoman for 28 years and was elected Mayor in November 2009. Members of the Township Council are Council President Fred Goetz, Glenn Beckmeyer, Dr. Steven Cascio, Richard Hrbek and Joseph D'Urso.[14]
The Township of Washington is in the 5th Congressional district. New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The Township of Washington is in the 39th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Gerald Cardinale (R, Demarest) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Bob Schroeder (R, Washington Township) and Charlotte Vandervalk (R, Hillsdale).[15]
Bergen County's County Executive is Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford; term ends December 31, 2014).[16] The Board of Chosen Freeholders is the county's legislative body and its seven members are elected at-large on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[17] As of 2011, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman John Driscoll, Jr. (R, 2012; Paramus),[18] Vice-Chairwoman Maura DeNicola (R, 2013; Franklin Lakes),[19] Chair Pro Tempore John D. Mitchell (R, 2013; Cliffside Park)[20] John A. Felice (R, 2013; River Edge),[21] David L. Ganz (D, 2011; Fair Lawn),[22] Robert G. Hermansen (R, 2012; Mahwah)[23] and Bernadette P. McPherson (D, 2011; Rutherford).[24][25] Other countywide constitutional officials are Sheriff Michael Saudino (R), Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill) and County Clerk Elizabeth Randall (R, Westwood).[26]
As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 9,623 in the Township of Washington, there were 6,376 registered voters (66.3% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 910 (14.3% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,141 (33.6% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 3,322 (52.1% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There were 3 voters registered to other parties.[27]
On the national level, the township leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry, who received around 40%.[28]
Public school students in grades Kindergarten through 12 attend the Westwood Regional School District, a comprehensive regional school district serving students from both the Township of Washington and Westwood Borough.[29] Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[30]) are four K-5 elementary schools (most were K-4 until Fall 2010) — Berkeley Avenue Elementary School (237 students; was K-4), Brookside Elementary School (447; was 5&6), Jessie F. George Elementary School (323; was K-4), Ketler Elementary School (316; was K-4, now defunct) and Washington Elementary School (262; was K-4) — Westwood Regional Middle School (grades 6 and 7, opened in Fall 2010) and Westwood Regional High School (1,134; 8-12, was 7-12).
Immaculate Heart Academy is a parochial, college preparatory, all-girls Catholic high school located on Van Emburgh Avenue.
New Jersey Transit bus route 165 serves nearby Westwood with easy access from the Township of Washington to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.[31] Westwood train station can also be easily accessed from the township. Rockland Coaches provides express service from Pascack Road and Washington Avenue via Garden State Parkway Exit 168. Weekday rush-hour service is provided to the Port Authority Bus Terminal, going to New York in the morning and returning to the township weekday evenings.
Located within the New York metropolitan area's arterial network, The Township of Washington is easily accessible by car. The Garden State Parkway and County Route 502 travel through the township, and Route 17 is nearby.
The Township of Washington offers various sports activities - baseball, softball, football, cheerleading and soccer - which are played at the numerous parks and fields throughout the town. Clark Field includes a little league baseball field with two large dugouts and electronic scoreboard, a basketball court, a playground, sandbox, and a concession stand. The playground has many slides, monkey bars, games, gliders, fire poles, regular swings, baby swings, and a tire swing. Memorial Field is in the center of the township and provides facilities for multiple use: baseball, softball, soccer and youth football. Adjacent to the Washington Elementary School, it also includes a recreation building with concession stand and a covered picnic pavilion.
As the township does not provide for any recreational pool service, the Washington Township Recreation Club (WTRC) fills this void. Membership at the Washington Township Recreation Club, more commonly known as the 'swim club' or 'pool', is not limited to township residents and is open to any individual or family who wishes to join.</ref> In addition to the olympic sized outdoor pool, the WTRC also offers a game room and picnic area. Additional recreational facilities include the Bergen County YM/YWHA offering fitness programs, indoor swimming and a variety of classes for all denominations. The town also has a privately-owned Racquet and Health Club.
Schlegel Lake, once referred to as Schlegel's Pond and commonly referred to as Washington Lake, is a 28-acre (110,000 m2) artificial body of water privately owned and managed by the Washington Lake Association (WLA) since 1947, whose members have exclusive rights to use of the pond and surrounding property. WLA members may enjoy fishing, boating, picnicking, nature observation, etc.
Washington Town Center is a shopping mall located in the center of town, on Pascack Road. Stores include A&P, Rite Aid, PNC Bank, Dunkin' Donuts, a Post Office and more than 15 other restaurants and shops along with a movie theater which offers a variety of theatrical films. Due to high rents, approximately half of the available store fronts remain empty. The privately held Washington Town Center is the township's single largest tax payer. Through a quirk in the town's tax code, the not for profit Washington Township Recreation Club remains the township's second largest taxpayer.
The Township of Washington has its own TV station, WCTV, Washington Community Television, composed entirely of all volunteers. The non-profit, community access group provides a 24/7 electronic bulletin board telecast over several cable systems in surrounding towns and provides live programming and coverage of local events and activities on the Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable tv channels. WCTV provides coverage of a variety of high school sporting events and its volunteers have been honored for their efforts.
As the township does not provide residential trash pickup service, residents must pay for trash pickup services though a choice of several private garbage companies.
The Lenape Native Americans were said to inhabit the town first and many names throughout the general area were passed down from the Lenape. Pascack and Kinderkamack are just two of the names which have been passed down. After they left, the Dutch were the first settlers turning the landscape into a tapestry of gardens, apple orchards and truck farms.
The Township of Washington was created by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 13, 1840, from the territories between the Hackensack River and Saddle River that had been part of Harrington Township.[32] At the time of its creation, the township encompassed an area of 19,525 acres (79.01 km2), more than 30 square miles (78 km2).[33]
Growth in the area exploded after the Civil War with the completion of the New Jersey and New York Railway through the Pascack Valley, as communities were established near the railroad's stations.[33]
Orvil Township was created on January 1, 1886, from the western portion of The Township of Washington and the southern portion of Hohokus Township.[32]
The Borough Act resulted in a flurry of new boroughs created from portions of the township in 1894 as the "Boroughitis" phenomenon swept through The Township of Washington: Westwood (May 8, 1894), Park Ridge (May 14, 1894), Eastwood (part; created June 6, 1894, borough lasted until 1896), Montvale (part; created August 31, 1894) and Woodcliff (part; created August 31, 1894, name changed to Woodcliff Lake in 1910). Hillsdale Township (now a borough) was created on March 25, 1898. Etna Borough, which ultimately became Emerson, was formed on April 8, 1903. River Vale (part) was the last to leave when it was created on April 30, 1906.[32] The departures have taken the township from over 30 square miles (78 km2) to its current 3-square-mile (7.8 km2) size.[33]
Seven Chimneys is a house located on Ridgewood Road atop a small hill and as the name says, it has seven chimneys. It has been said that George Washington had stayed at this house during the Revolutionary War. Seven Chimneys, the oldest house in the township, is an impressive example of eighteenth-century, regional, domestic architecture and is an important remnant of the community's early settlement period. The house is listed on the State Register and National Register of Historic Places. On November 3, 1968, the Bergen County Historical Society placed a historic-site marker on the property.[34]
During the mid 1950s, the completion of the 173-mile (278 km) Garden State Parkway running north and south through 50 municipalities in 10 counties, split the township in two. The Parkway created two access routes with Exit 166 on the southern border next to Paramus and Exit 168 on Washington Avenue. The northernmost toll plaza was built off of East Glen. During the decade after the Parkway was completed, the township dramatically increased in population.
Notable current and former residents of The Township of Washington include: