Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey

Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
—  Township  —
Map of Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County. Inset: Location of Atlantic County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
Coordinates: 39°23′36″N 74°35′35″W / 39.39333°N 74.59306°W / 39.39333; -74.59306
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Atlantic
Incorporated	February 21, 1798
Government[1]
– Type	Township (New Jersey)
– Mayor	James J. McCullough (term ends 2011)[2]
– Administrator	Peter J. Miller[3]
Area
– Total	74.9 sq mi (194.1 km2)
– Land	67.3 sq mi (174.4 km2)
– Water	7.6 sq mi (19.7 km2)
Elevation[4]	16 ft (5 m)
Population (2010 Census)
– Total	43,323
– Density	578.4/sq mi (223.2/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	08234
Area code(s)	609
FIPS code	34-20290[5][6]
GNIS feature ID	0882051[7]
Website	http://www.ehtgov.org

Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 43,323, a growth of more than 40% 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; 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.^[8]

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 "Eieren Haven" (Egg Harbor).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 75.0 square miles (194 km²), of which, 67.3 square miles (174 km²) of it is land and 7.6 square miles (20 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. Portions of the township, notably the West Atlantic City and Anchorage Poynte areas, are not contiguous to the main body of the municipality.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	3,024		—
1940	3,066		1.4%
1950	4,991		62.8%
1960	5,593		12.1%
1970	9,882		76.7%
1980	19,381		96.1%
1990	24,544		26.6%
2000	30,726		25.2%
2010	43,323		41.0%
Population 1930 - 1990.[9] 2000[10]

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 30,726 people, 11,199 households, and 8,108 families residing in the township. The population density was 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.^[10]

There were 111,990 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.^[10]

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.^[10]

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.^[10]

Government

Local government

The Township of Egg Harbor is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government by a five-member Township Committee. Members are elected in partisan elections to three-year terms in office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.^[1] The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen by the Township Committee from among its members during the Reorganization meeting each January. The members of Township Committee are part-time elected officials.

As of 2011^[update], members of the Egg Harbor Township Committee are Mayor James J. McCullough, Deputy Mayor John W. Risley, Jr., Joe Cafero, John Carman, Jr. and Paul Hodson.^[11]

Federal, state and county representation

Egg Harbor Township is in the 2nd Congressional district. New Jersey's Second Congressional District is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor City). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

Egg Harbor Township is in the 2nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Jim Whelan (D, Atlantic City), and in the Assembly by John F. Amodeo (R, Margate) and Vincent J. Polistina (R, Egg Harbor Township).^[12]

Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson (Linwood), whose term of office ends on December 31, 2011.^[13] The Board of Chosen Freeholders, the county's legislature, consists of nine members elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year of which four members are elected at-large and one member from each of the five districts. As of 2011, Atlantic County's Freeholders are four at-large members Alisa Cooper (Linwood, term expires December 31, 2011)^[14], Vice Chairman Frank V. Giordano (Hamilton Township, 2012)^[15], Joseph J. McDevitt (Ventnor City, 2013)^[16] and Jim Schroeder (Northfield, 2011)^[17]; and five members elected from districts District 1 (Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part) and Pleasantville) Charles T. Garrett (Atlantic City, 2013)^[18], District 2 - (Atlantic City (part), Egg Harbor Township (part), Longport, Margate, Somers Point and Ventnor), Chairman Frank D. Formica (Atlantic City, 2012)^[19], District 3 (Egg Harbor Township (part), Hamilton Township (part), Linwood and Northfield) - Frank Sutton (Egg Harbor Township, 2011)^[20], District 4 (Absecon, Brigantine, Galloway Township and Port Republic - Richard Dase (Galloway Township, 2013)^[21] and District 5 (Buena Borough Buena Vista Township, Corbin City, Egg Harbor City, Estell Manor, Folsom, Hamilton Township (part), Hammonton, Mullica Township and Weymouth) - Vacant.^[22][23]

History

The first residents of what would become Egg Harbor Township were the Lenni Lenape Indian tribe. Essentially, this area was their summer camp on the slightly higher elevations around the cedar swamp that is now Bargaintown Lake, as well as along the banks of Patcong Creek. Most of the southern New Jersey shoreline was used by the Lenape as a sort of resort during the summer months.^{[citation needed]} The abundant fish, shellfish, wild berries, and bird's eggs in the area sustained them, and collecting shells for carving beads to be used as wampum was a profitable practice in their pre-European economy.^[24]

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 (formerly Jeffers), Steelmanville, Cardiff, part of McKee City, Farmington and West Atlantic City.

Education

The Egg Harbor Township Schools serve public school students in grades K through 12. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[25]) are Davenport Complex with 819 students, Slaybaugh Complex with 925 students and H. Russell Swift School with 509 students for grades PreK-3, Dr. Joy D. Miller School with 1,112 students in grades 4-5, Alder Avenue Middle School with 888 students and Fernwood Avenue Middle School with 1,045 students for grades 6-8, along with Egg Harbor Township High School with 2,511 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 (1.107 km²). 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.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Egg Harbor Township include:

• Steve Coates (born 1950), retired NHL Hockey Player & Philadelphia Flyers announcer.^[26]
• Clique Girlz, a girl group.^[27]
• Delino DeShields (born 1969), former MLB second baseman.^{[citation needed]}
• Jeff Feagles (born 1966), punter who played for the New York Giants.^{[citation needed]}
• Steve Keiner, winner of the 1999 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, downing 20¼ hot dogs in 12 minutes.^[28]
• Ryan Lancaster (born 1985), professional basketball player.^[29]
• Vincent Larusso (born 1978), actor.^{[citation needed]}
• Cathy Rush (born c. 1946), former head women's basketball coach at Immaculata University who led the team to three consecutive AIAW national titles from 1972-1974.^[30]
• Walt Weiss (born 1963), MLB shortstop.^{[citation needed]}
• Chris Wheeler, born (1945), Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster since 1977
• Marc Zumoff, Philadelphia 76ers announcer.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 13.
2. ^ 2011 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed October 31, 2011.
3. ^ Administration, Township of Egg Harbor. Accessed March 12, 2011.
4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Egg Harbor, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 20, 2007.
5. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
7. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
8. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 68.
9. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
10. ^ ^{a b c d e} Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights: Egg Harbor township, Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 31, 2011.
11. ^ Elected Officials, Township of Egg Harbor. Accessed March 12, 2011.
12. ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-02-08. 
13. ^ County Executive Dennis Levinson, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
14. ^ Alisa Cooper, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
15. ^ Frank V. Giordano, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
16. ^ Joseph C. McDevitt, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
17. ^ Jim Schroder, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
18. ^ Charles T. Garrett, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
19. ^ Frank D. Formica, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
20. ^ Frank Sutton, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
21. ^ Richard Dase, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
22. ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Atlantic County, New Jersey. Accessed January 6, 2011.
23. ^ Marino, Suzanne. "Formica chosen freeholder board chairman", Shore News Today, January 5, 2011. Accessed January 6, 2011.
24. ^ Bargaintown by Beryl D. Mason; Sketches of Egg Harbor Township, 1964, by the Egg Harbor Township Terecentenary Publications Committee.
25. ^ Data for the Egg Harbor Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 6, 2011.
26. ^ Lulgjuraj, Susan. "Egg Harbor Township's Steve Coates in Flyers' corner as their voice on radio, TV", The Press of Atlantic City, June 3, 2010. Accessed March 12, 2011. "When loyal fans think about the Flyers, the Egg Harbor Township resident often comes to mind. The 59-year-old has broadcast Flyers games on radio and television for the last 30 years."
27. ^ Shanfield, Sarah. "Clique Girlz just wanna have fun", Metro Boston, July 2, 2008. Accessed July 3, 2008. "It’s not easy to get Clique Girlz to sit down for an interview. So says their stage mom, as the three teens run down the docks to look at the boats in their hometown of Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey."
28. ^ McFadden, Robert D. "Holiday Parades March By, But the Heat Is Just Settling In", The New York Times, July 5, 1999. Accessed December 20, 2007. "As a crowd wavering between nausea and fascination watched for 12 minutes, Steve Keiner, 50, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., downed 20 and one-quarter hot dogs to defeat the reigning Hirofumi Nakajima, a 134-pound former noodle-eating champ from Japan, who managed only 19 franks."
29. ^ Staff. "Sports in Brief: Hull, Richter, Leetch in U.S. Hockey Hall", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 13, 2008. Accessed January 20, 2011. "The native of Egg Harbor Township is the Tigers' seventh all-time career scorer with 1,636."
30. ^ Lulgjuraj, Susan. "'The Mighty Macs,' based on Oakcrest High grad Cathy Rush, set for release today", The Press of Atlantic City, October 21, 2011. Accessed October 28, 2011. "Cathy Rush invited friends to her home in Ventnor a couple of years ago to watch an advance copy of the movie The Mighty Macs....Rush, a native of West Atlantic City in Egg Harbor Township, saw the filming of this movie.... 'My stomach dropped,' said Rush, a 1964 Oakcrest High School graduate. 'It was the most disconcerting thing because it was real.'"

External links

• Egg Harbor Township Official Website
• Egg Harbor Township Schools
• Egg Harbor Township Schools's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Egg Harbor Township Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Egg Harbor Township Community Site (Unofficial)
• Egg Harbor Township Community Website (Free)
• Pinelands Commission Official Website
• The Current of Egg Harbor Township

Coordinates: 39°23′28″N 74°35′38″W / 39.39111°N 74.59389°W / 39.39111; -74.59389