Fanwood, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Fanwood borough had a total area of 1.342 square miles (3.475 km²), all of which was land.

The borough is bordered by Plainfield in the southwest and by Scotch Plains in all other directions.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 7,318 people, 2,627 households, and 2,070 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,454.1 per square mile (2,105.8/km²). The borough contained 2,686 housing units at an average density of 2,001.9 per square mile (772.9/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.72% (6,200) White, 5.30% (388) Black or African American, 0.14% (10) Native American, 6.75% (494) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.97% (71) from other races, and 2.12% (155) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.26% (458) of the population.

Out of a total of 2,627 households, 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.7% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the borough, 27.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females the census counted 95.0 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 89.3 males. The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $127,450 (with a margin of error of +/- $8,852) and the median family income was $135,833 (+/- $6,654). Males had a median income of $92,262 (+/- $13,007) versus $62,845 (+/- $6,933) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $43,194 (+/- $2,939). About 0.6% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.0% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 7,174 people, 2,574 households, and 2,054 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,363.4 people per square mile (2,067.1/km²). There were 2,615 housing units at an average density of 1,955.0 per square mile (753.5/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 88.30% White, 5.14% African American, 0.10% Native American, 4.39% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.74% of the population. Among Fanwood residents, 23.2% identified as being of Italian ancestry, 23.0% as being of Irish ancestry and 20.6% as having German ancestry.

There were 2,574 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the borough the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $85,233, and the median income for a family was $99,232. Males had a median income of $65,519 versus $40,921 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $34,804. About 1.6% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Fanwood is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The Borough form of government used by Fanwood, the most common system used in the state, is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

The Borough Council is Fanwood's legislative body and may pass, adopt, amend and repeal any ordinance or where permitted, any resolution, for any purpose required for the government of the municipality, and also controls and regulates the finances of the municipality. The Council may investigate any activity of the municipality, remove any officer of the municipality for cause other than those excepted by law and shall have all the executive responsibilities of the municipality not placed by general law, in the office of the Mayor. The Mayor of Fanwood is responsible for serving as the chief executive officer of borough government. The mayor presides over the Borough Council, appoints various boards and committees, oversees borough administration, and serves as the borough's ceremonial head.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Fanwood Borough is Democrat Colleen M. Mahr, whose term of office ends December 31, 2019. Members of the Fanwood Borough Council are Council President Katherine Mitchell (D, 2016), Kevin G. Boris (D, 2017), Russell J. Huegel (D, 2017), Tom Kranz (D, 2016), Erin McElroy Barker (D, 2018) and Jack Molenaar (D, 2018).

Fire Department

The Fanwood Fire Department is a volunteer fire department with 30 members that operate out of one fire station. The department has two engines, one quint and a chief's vehicle. The Fanwood Volunteer Fire Company predates the incorporation of the borough, having first been established in 1890 with its first firehouse constructed in 1897.

Federal, state and county representation

Fanwood is located in the 12th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Fanwood had been part of the 7th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

New Jersey's Twelfth Congressional District is represented by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).

For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 22nd Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the General Assembly by Jerry Green (D, Plainfield) and James J. Kennedy (D, Rahway). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Union County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose nine members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Chairman and Vice Chairman from among its members. As of 2014, Union County's Freeholders are Chairman Christopher Hudak (D, Linden, term ends December 31, 2014), Vice Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh (D, Roselle, 2015), Bruce Bergen (D, Springfield Township, 2015), Linda Carter (D, Plainfield, 2016), Angel G. Estrada (D, Elizabeth, 2014), Sergio Granados (D, Elizabeth, 2016) Bette Jane Kowalski (D, Cranford, 2016), Alexander Mirabella (D, Fanwood, 2015) and Vernell Wright (D, Union, 2014). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi (D, Union, 2015), Sheriff Ralph Froehlich (D, Union, 2016) and Surrogate James S. LaCorte (D, Springfield Township, 2014). The County Manager is Alfred Faella.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 5,033 registered voters in Fanwood, of which 1,614 (32.1% vs. 41.8% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,210 (24.0% vs. 15.3%) were registered as Republicans and 2,205 (43.8% vs. 42.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 68.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 95.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,164 votes (54.8% vs. 66.0% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 1,710 votes (43.3% vs. 32.3%) and other candidates with 49 votes (1.2% vs. 0.8%), among the 3,947 ballots cast by the borough's 5,239 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.3% (vs. 68.8% in Union County). In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,287 votes (54.7% vs. 63.1% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,817 votes (43.5% vs. 35.2%) and other candidates with 37 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,179 ballots cast by the borough's 5,143 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.3% (vs. 74.7% in Union County). In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 2,045 votes (50.2% vs. 58.3% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,957 votes (48.1% vs. 40.3%) and other candidates with 41 votes (1.0% vs. 0.7%), among the 4,070 ballots cast by the borough's 5,013 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.2% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.8% of the vote (1,503 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.3% (1,003 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (49 votes), among the 2,604 ballots cast by the borough's 5,151 registered voters (49 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,468 votes (50.2% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,140 votes (39.0% vs. 50.6%), Independent Chris Daggett with 276 votes (9.4% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 16 votes (0.5% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,922 ballots cast by the borough's 5,064 registered voters, yielding a 57.7% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).

Education

Public school students in Fanwood attend the schools of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District, which serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade from the Township of Scotch Plains and the Borough of Fanwood. The district has five elementary schools (PreK/K-4), two middle schools (5-8) and a comprehensive high school (9-12), all of which are located in Scotch Plains. Students from School One, Evergreen and Brunner pool into Park Middle School, while students from Coles and McGinn feed into Terrill. School One is the only elementary school that teaches English as a second language. Most students from Park Middle School and Terrill Middle school continue their high school education at the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its eight schools had an enrollment of 5,718 students and 430.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.3:1.

Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Howard B. Brunner Elementary School (grades PreK-4; 400 students), J. Ackerman Coles School (PreK-4; 457), Evergreen School (PreK-4; 406), William J. McGinn School (K-4; 478), School One (K-4; 396), Park Middle School (5-8; 934), Terrill Middle School (5-8; 825) and Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (9-12, 1,572).

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 26.35 miles (42.41 km) of roadways, of which 20.58 miles (33.12 km) were maintained by the municipality, 4.62 miles (7.44 km) by Union County and 1.15 miles (1.85 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 28 passes through the borough, connecting Plainfield and Scotch Plains.

Another major thoroughfare is South and North Martine Avenue, which connects Fanwood to Route 22 .

Public transportation

The Fanwood station is an NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line. The building on the north side of the tracks (westbound platform) is a Victorian building and, like the north building at Westfield, is used by a non-profit organization. The ticket office is in the station building on the south side of the tracks (eastbound platform). The station provides service to Penn Station in Newark, and from there to Hoboken Terminal or Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan.

Currently riders need to transfer at Newark Penn Station to reach Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan during rush hour. The Raritan Valley Railroad Coalition has been promoting economic benefits of one-seat rider to New York City since 1998. RVRC has so far succeeded to achieve such one seat riders during off peak hours during week and there are 9 trains in each direction that the riders do not need to transfer at Newark Penn Station. Ultimate goal of RVRC is to extend such one seat rider in during rush hours.

NJ Transit offers bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 113 and local service on the 822 route.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 25 minutes away.

Commerce

In 2014 Fanwood was recipient of a 2014 New Jersey Future Smart Growth Award for its downtown development plan.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Fanwood include: