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Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey

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Wikipedia

Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 30,726. The Census Bureau's 2004 population estimate for the township was 36,877, representing growth of nearly 20% since the previous enumeration.

Egg Harbor Township was first mentioned as part of Gloucester County in records dating back to March 20, 1693, and at times was called New Weymouth. The township's western boundary was established on May 13, 1761, with the area called Great Egg-Harbour township. Portions of the township were taken to form Galloway Township, which was established by Royal Charter on April 4, 1774. Additional portions were taken to form Weymouth Township on February 12, 1798. On February 21, 1798, the area was incorporated as Egg-Harbour Township. Over the ensuing centuries, portions of the township were taken to create many new municipalities: Hamilton Township on February 5, 1813; Atlantic City on May 1, 1854; Absecon on May 1, 1854; Atlantic City on February 29, 1872; South Atlantic City (now Margate City) on September 7, 1885; Pleasantville on January 10, 1889; Linwood on February 20, 1889; Somers Point on April 24, 1886; Longport on March 7, 1898; Ventnor City on March 17, 1903; and Northfield on March 21, 1905.

Great Egg Harbor got its name from Dutch explorer Cornelius Jacobsen Mey. In 1614, Mey came upon the inlet to the Great Egg Harbor River. The meadows were so covered with shorebird and waterfowl eggs that he called it "Eyren Haven" (Egg Harbor).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 75.0 square miles (194.1 km²), of which, 67.3 square miles (174.4 km²) of it is land and 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²) of it (10.15%) is water.

The Township is bounded by Hamilton Township and Galloway Township to the west and north, respectively, the cities of Absecon, Pleasantville, Northfield, Linwood and Somers Point to the east, Longport and Ocean City to the southeast and the city of Estell Manor to the south.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 30,726 people, 11,199 households, and 8,108 families residing in the township. The population density was 456.2 people per square mile (176.1/km²). There were 12,067 housing units at an average density of 179.2/sq mi (69.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 79.42% White, 10.37% African American, 0.21% Native American, 5.05% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.82% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.76% of the population.

There were 11,199 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the township the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $52,550, and the median income for a family was $60,032. Males had a median income of $40,033 versus $30,643 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,328. About 4.2% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The Township of Egg Harbor is governed by a five-member Township Committee. Each member serves a three-year term and is elected on a partisan basis. The Mayor is appointed by the Township Committee during the Reorganization meeting in January of each calendar year. The members of Township Committee are part-time elected officials.

Members of the Egg Harbor Township Committee are Mayor James J. McCullough (term expires 2009), Deputy Mayor Stanley "Jake" Glassey (2007), John Carman, Jr. (2009), Paul W. Hodson (2008) and John W. Risley, Jr. (2008).

Federal, state and county representation

Egg Harbor Township is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District.

History

Great Egg Harbor was originally part of Gloucester County. In 1694 a law was passed that read "forasmuch as there are families settled upon the Egg Harbor, and of right ought to be under some jurisdiction, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid that the inhabitants of the said Egg Harbor shall and do belong to the jurisdiction of Gloucester."

In 1710, by an Act of the Legislature, legal boundaries of Gloucester County were set from the Delaware River, along the Burlington County line to the sea and back up the Great Egg Harbor River to the Delaware River. At that time Great Egg Harbor encompassed all of present-day Atlantic County. In 1837, Atlantic County was set apart from Gloucester County and the Townships were: Egg Harbor, Weymouth, Hamilton and Galloway.

Since 1837, ten municipalities have separated from the original Egg Harbor Township, including Atlantic City (1854), Absecon (1872), South Atlantic City (now Margate) (1885), Somers Point (1886), Pleasantville (1888), Linwood (1889), Longport (1898), Brigantine (1903), Ventnor (1903) and Northfield (1905).

Egg Harbor Township, as it remains today, includes the communities of Bargaintown (the seat of government), English Creek, Scullville, Steelmanville, McKee City, Cardiff, Farmington and West Atlantic City.

Education

The Egg Harbor Township Schools serve public school students in grades K through 12. Schools in the district include three K-3 elementary schools — Clayton J. Davenport Elementary School with 512 students, E. H. Slaybaugh Elementary School with 619 students and H. Russell Swift Elementary School with 387 students — Dr. Joyanne D. Miller Elementary School with 1,095 students in Grades 4-5, Egg Harbor Township Alder Aveneue Middle School with 1,116 students and Egg Harbor Township Fernwood Aveneue Middle School with 1,101 students in Grades 6-8 and Egg Harbor Township High School with 1,798 students in Grades 9-12.

Commerce

The Shore Mall is a regional mall, opened in 1968, located on U.S. Route 40 / U.S. Route 322.

Development and the Pine Barrens

Egg Harbor Township (along with Hamilton and Galloway Townships) has been designated a growth area by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission and is therefore currently experiencing heavy development. In exchange for the development in Egg Harbor Township, no trees are demolished for housing and other buildings in the Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands.

This "heavy development" consists of a state mandated construction of almost 30,000 additional housing units. The neighboring communities, Galloway Township and Hamilton Township have also been assigned similar construction numbers by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission.

Being a rural community, the infrastructure of Egg Harbor Township is not adequately able to handle the growth explosion. The local roads are very busy during the days and jammed at rush hour and more importantly, the schools are unable to handle the influx of school age children that are coming to the area. Although almost every school on Egg Harbor Township has undergone additions and or renovations, they are over-crowded as soon as the doors open. Many of the classes are in excess of 30 students.

On January 22, 2007, the Egg Harbor Township Planning Board gave site approval for 660 new homes (and a new fire station) in the Farmington section of Egg Harbor Township.

The Village at Farmington (which appears to be a whole city unto itself) will be developed by Pulte Homes Corporation and will include 140 townhouses, 261 planned adult homes (55 and older) and 259 single family detached dwellings. In addition to the homes, the plan also calls for a community clubhouse, a second club house for 55 and older, recreation fields and walking paths. All of this will be built on a mere 273.6 acres. Pulte Homes will also donate $800,000 to the Egg Harbor Township recreation fund because the club houses and paths do not satisfy the township's recreation requirements for a development of this size.

Punte will also contribute $350,000 for a second Farmington Fire Station and the landowners, Schoffer Enterprises will donate the land.

Once approvals are complete, Punte says that they will build 60 units of each type per year until the project is complete.

The Planning Board has requested that paperwork presented to the homeowners at purchase will "warn" residents that there is a nearby airport (Atlantic City International Airport, which in addition to functioning as a full service airport is home to the 177th wing of the Air National Guard and the Atlantic City base for the US Coast Guard), meaning they will be in the approach and takeoff patterns for incoming and outgoing aircraft, the Atlantic County Municipal Utility Authority (ACMUA), where all local municipalities bring their trash and recycle, which at given times of the year brings some pretty extensive landfill odors and a shooting range nearby.

Pulte Homes Corporation plans to offer single family homes in the mid $300,000's and the adult homes for $250,000.