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Washington Township, formally the Township of Washington, is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 9,102,[6][7][8] reflecting an increase of 164 (+1.8%) from the 8,938 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 307 (-3.3%) from the 9,245 counted in the 1990 Census.[18]
Washington Township is located at (40.988306,-74.064693). According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 2.959 square miles (7.665 km2), of which, 2.909 square miles (7.534 km2) of it was land and 0.050 square miles (0.130 km2) of it (1.70%) was water.[1][2]
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.
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 another located 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.
At the 2010 United States Census, there were 9,102 people, 3,261 households, and 2,632 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,128.8 per square mile (1,208.0/km2). There were 3,341 housing units at an average density of 1,148.5 per square mile (443.4/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 90.50% (8,237) White, 1.08% (98) Black or African American, 0.01% (1) Native American, 6.47% (589) Asian, 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.62% (56) from other races, and 1.31% (119) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.44% (495) of the population.[6]
There were 3,261 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.15.[6]
In the township, 22.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.1 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.[6]
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $117,394 (with a margin of error of +/- $14,960) and the median family income was $133,191 (+/- $10,285). Males had a median income of $91,038 (+/- $11,435) versus $56,599 (+/- $4,609) for females. The per capita income for the township was $48,415 (+/- $4,855). About 1.6% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.[32]
Same-sex couples headed 27 households in 2010, an increase from the 10 counted in 2000.[33]
As of the 2000 United States Census[15] 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.[29][30]
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.[29][30]
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.[29][30]
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.[29][30]
The Township of Washington is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government (Plan E), implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of January 1, 1970.[34] The governing body consists of a mayor and a five-member Township Council, all of whom are elected at-large on a partisan basis to four-year terms of office, as part of the November general election. Members of the Township Council are elected to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election together and the other two seats (along with the mayor) up for election two years later in odd-numbered years.[3]
As of 2014, the Mayor of Washington Township is Republican Janet Sobkowicz, whose term of office ends December 31, 2017, and had been a councilwoman for 28 years before being elected as Mayor in November 2009. Members of the Township Council are Council President Thomas Sears (R, 2017), Council Vice President Peter Calamari (R, 2017), Glenn Beckmeyer (R, 2015), Dr. Steven Cascio, D.C. (R, 2015) and Richard Hrbek (R, 2015).[35][36][37][38][39]
Washington Township is located in the 5th Congressional District[40] and is part of New Jersey's 39th state legislative district.[7][41][42]
New Jersey's Fifth Congressional District is represented by Scott Garrett (R, Wantage Township).[43] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark; took office on October 31, 2013, after winning a special election to fill the seat of Frank Lautenberg)[44][45] and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus).[46][47]
The 39th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Gerald Cardinale (R, Demarest) and in the General Assembly by Holly Schepisi (R, River Vale) and Bob Schroeder (R, Washington Township, Bergen County).[48] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township).[49] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[50]
[53] As of 2014, Bergen County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman David L. Ganz (D, 2014; Fair Lawn),[54] Vice Chairwoman Joan Voss (D, 2014; Fort Lee),[55] Chairman Pro Tempore John A. Felice (R, 2016; River Edge),[56] Maura R. DeNicola (R, 2016; Franklin Lakes),[57] Steve Tanelli (D, 2015; North Arlington)[58] James J. Tedesco, III (D, 2015; Paramus)[59] and Tracy Silna Zur (D, 2015; Franklin Lakes).[60][61] Countywide constitutional officials are County Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale),[62] Sheriff Michael Saudino (R),[63] Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill)[64][65][51]
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,381 registered voters in Washington Township, of which 1,364 (21.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,412 (37.8% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 2,601 (40.8% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties.[66] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 70.1% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 91.0% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[66][67]
In the John Kerry with 2,137 votes (39.7% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 27 votes (0.5% vs. 0.7%), among the 5,379 ballots cast by the township's 6,582 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.7% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county).[72]
In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,329 votes here (56.7% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,475 votes (35.9% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 200 votes (4.9% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 20 votes (0.5% vs. 0.5%), among the 4,110 ballots cast by the township's 6,623 registered voters, yielding a 62.1% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county).[73]
Public school students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the [79] (288), Washington Elementary School[80] (298) — Westwood Regional Middle School[81] (450; 6-7, opened in Fall 2010) and Westwood Regional High School[82] (1,022; 8-12).[83][84]
Public school students from the township, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools, which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus. The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by the student's home school district.[85][86]
Immaculate Heart Academy is a parochial, college preparatory, all-girls Catholic high school located on Van Emburgh Avenue, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark.[87] The school was founded in 1960 as the first all-girls school operated by the Newark Archdiocese.[88]
As of 2010, the township had a total of 43.48 miles (69.97 km) of roadways, of which 34.76 miles (55.94 km) were maintained by the municipality, 6.90 miles (11.10 km) by Bergen County and 1.82 miles (2.93 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[89]
Located within the New York metropolitan area's arterial network, the township is easily accessible by car. The Garden State Parkway and County Route 502 travel through the township, and Route 17 is nearby.
New Jersey Transit bus route 165 serves nearby Westwood with access to and from the Township of Washington to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and local service on the 752 route.[90] 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, with weekday rush-hour service provided to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, heading to New York in the morning and returning to the township weekday evenings on routes 46, 47 and 49.[91][92]
Washington Township has a Bowtie Theaters movie theater. Located in the Washington Township Shopping Center, it has three viewing screens.[93]
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. In addition to the Olympic sized outdoor pool, the WTRC also offers a game room and picnic area.[94] Additional recreational facilities include the Bergen County YJCC, offering fitness programs, indoor swimming and a variety of classes for all denominations.[95] The town also has a privately owned Racquet and Health Club.
Schlegel Lake,[96] 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 and other outdoor activities.[97]
Washington Town Center is a shopping mall located in the center of the township, on Pascack Road. Stores include A&P, Rite Aid, PNC Bank, a Post Office and several restaurants and shops along with a movie theater which offers a variety of theatrical films. 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, Washington Community Television (WCTV), 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.[98]
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, establishing 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.[31] 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).[99]
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.[99]
Orvil Township was created on January 1, 1886, from the western portion of The Township of Washington and the southern portion of Hohokus Township.[31]
The Borough Act resulted in a flurry of new boroughs created from portions of the township in 1894 as the "Boroughitis" phenomenon swept through Washington Township, with 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) formed among the 26 boroughs created that year in the county.[100] 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.[31] The departures have taken the township from over 30 square miles (78 km2) to its current 3-square-mile (7.8 km2) size.[99]
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.[99]
During the mid-1950s, the completion of the 173-mile (278 km) Garden State Parkway split the township in two. The Parkway created two access routes with Exit 166 on the southern border closest 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.
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Washington Township include:
Atlanta, United States Department of Commerce, Southern United States, New England, Philadelphia
United States Census Bureau, Hudson County, New Jersey, Paramus, New Jersey, Hackensack, New Jersey, New York City
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Paterson, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, Camden, New Jersey
Mitt Romney, Barack Obama, Richard Nixon, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan
The New York Times, National Register of Historic Places, The Record (Bergen County), United States Census Bureau, Bergen County, New Jersey
United States Census Bureau, Republican Party (United States), New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, New Jersey Transit
Boston College, 30 Rock, Wayne, New Jersey, Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey, Upright Citizens Brigade
Giacomo Puccini, Opera, The Merry Widow, Madama Butterfly, Die Fledermaus