Green Brook Township, New Jersey

History

In 1872, a tract of land was subdivided off from Warren Township. Thirteen years later, in 1885, the Borough of North Plainfield was created from a section of the subdivided land. The land at that time was designated as North Plainfield. In 1926, the Borough of Watchung was carved out of North Plainfield Township. The municipality's name was changed to Green Brook Township in 1932.

Green Brook Township takes its name from the waterway that passes through the township called the Green Brook that rises in the Watchung Mountains several miles away, feeding from many smaller brooks and ponds along the way, as it flows in a southwesterly direction for a distance of 15 miles (24 km). It then continues southwestward and flows into the Raritan River at Bound Brook, which provides access to the New York City area and the Atlantic Ocean. The broo was named for the color of its water.

Also contained within the township is Washington Rock State Park, which commemorates the spot where George Washington and Marquis de Lafayette watched the movement of the British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War, mainly the months of May and June 1777. The park was established on March 17, 1913, and is about 34 acres (140,000 m²) in size.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 4.481 square miles (11.605 km²), including 4.473 square miles (11.584 km²) of land and 0.008 square miles (0.021 km²) of water (0.18%).

The township is in the Raritan Valley, a line of places in central New Jersey. Green Brook lies in the northern division of Raritan Valley along with the borough of North Plainfield.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Seeley Mills and Washington Rock.

The township borders the municipalities of Bridgewater Township, North Plainfield, Warren Township and Watchung in Somerset County; Middlesex borough in Middlesex County; and both Dunellen and Plainfield in Union County.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 7,203 people, 2,375 households, and 1,945 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,610.5 per square mile (621.8/km²). The township contained 2,448 housing units at an average density of 547.3 per square mile (211.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 73.54% (5,297) White, 3.37% (243) Black or African American, 0.04% (3) Native American, 20.21% (1,456) Asian, 0.04% (3) Pacific Islander, 1.12% (81) from other races, and 1.67% (120) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.86% (494) of the population.

Out of a total of 2,375 households, 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.1% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the township, 26.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 31.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females the census counted 93.3 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 90.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $115,268 (with a margin of error of +/- $15,162) and the median family income was $123,796 (+/- $10,668). Males had a median income of $74,231 (+/- $16,708) versus $75,703 (+/- $8,965) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $49,068 (+/- $5,197). About 0.9% of families and 1.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 5,654 people, 1,893 households, and 1,508 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,234.7 people per square mile (476.6/km²). There were 1,916 housing units at an average density of 418.4 per square mile (161.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 88.43% White, 1.68% African American, 0.07% Native American, 7.99% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.09% of the population.

There were 1,893 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.0% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.3% were non-families. 15.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the township the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $80,644, and the median income for a family was $87,744. Males had a median income of $52,147 versus $46,434 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,290. About 1.7% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Green Brook Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government. The five-member Township Committee is elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At a reorganization meeting, held each year within the first week of January, the Committee elects a Mayor and a Deputy Mayor for that year from among its members.

As of 2017, members of the Green Brook Township Committee are Mayor Patrick N. Boccio (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2018; term as mayor ends 2017), Deputy Mayor Kenneth G. Herrmann (R, term on committee ends 2018; term as deputy mayor ends 2017), James Benscoter (R, 2017; elected to serve balance of unexpired term), Jerry Searfoss (R, 2019) and Nancy Stoll (R, 2017).

In December 2015, the Township Committee selected James Benscoter from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by James A. Buck until he resigned from office; Benscoter served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters selected Benscoter to serve the remainder of the term of office.

Federal, state and county representation

Green Brook Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd state legislative district.

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton 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).

Somerset County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2016, Somerset County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Patricia L. Walsh (R, Green Brook Township, term ends December 31, 2016), Freeholder Deputy Director Peter S. Palmer (R, Bernardsville, 2017), Patrick Scaglione (R, Bridgewater Township, 2018), Mark Caliguire (R, Skillman in Montgomery Township, 2018), and Brian D. Levine (R, Franklin Township, 2017), Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Brett A. Radi (R, Somerville, 2017), Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano (R, Raritan, 2016) and Surrogate Frank Bruno (R, Branchburg, 2018).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 4,545 registered voters in Green Brook Township, of which 920 (20.2% vs. 26.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,219 (26.8% vs. 25.7%) were registered as Republicans and 2,401 (52.8% vs. 48.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 63.1% (vs. 60.4% in Somerset County) were registered to vote, including 85.7% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 80.4% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 53.5% of the vote (1,653 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.1% (1,394 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (43 votes), among the 3,110 ballots cast by the township's 4,774 registered voters (20 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 65.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 1,814 votes (53.1% vs. 46.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 1,532 votes (44.9% vs. 52.1%) and other candidates with 34 votes (1.0% vs. 1.1%), among the 3,415 ballots cast by the township's 4,470 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.4% (vs. 78.7% in Somerset County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 1,896 votes (58.8% vs. 51.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,290 votes (40.0% vs. 47.2%) and other candidates with 30 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 3,225 ballots cast by the township's 3,910 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.5% (vs. 81.7% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 71.3% of the vote (1,341 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 26.8% (504 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (37 votes), among the 1,899 ballots cast by the township's 4,810 registered voters (17 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,548 votes (63.9% vs. 55.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 648 votes (26.7% vs. 34.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 182 votes (7.5% vs. 8.7%) and other candidates with 21 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 2,424 ballots cast by the township's 4,527 registered voters, yielding a 53.5% turnout (vs. 52.5% in the county).

Education

The Green Brook School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 1,363 students and 77.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 17.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Irene E. Feldkirchner Elementary School (grades PreK-3; 458 students) and Green Brook Middle School (4-8; 439).

Green Brook's public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren Township. Students from Green Brook and from the neighboring communities of Watchung, Warren Township (in Somerset County), and Long Hill Township (in Morris County) attend the school. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,286 students and 94.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.6:1.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 36.19 miles (58.24 km) of roadways, of which 25.49 miles (41.02 km) were maintained by the municipality, 7.47 miles (12.02 km) by Somerset County and 3.23 miles (5.20 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 822 route.

Community organizations

There are several committees and organizations within the township of Green Brook. Green Brook has a Baptist church on Greenbrook Road. There is the Green Brook Seniors, which is held at the Senior Center. This is a place for all township seniors to meet and participate in different events. Green Brook also has a Lions Club, which volunteers for different causes. The Green Brook Recreation Committee is a volunteer organization that provides programs and event for all residents.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Green Brook Township include: