Robbinsville Township, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township as of 2010 had a total area of 20.491 square miles (53.072 km²), including 20.316 square miles (52.618 km²) of land and 0.175 square miles (0.454 km²) of water (0.86%). The township borders East Windsor Township, Hamilton Township, and West Windsor Township in Mercer County; and Allentown, Millstone Township and Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Allens Station, Carsons Mills, Hillside Terrace, Meadows Terrace, New Canton, New Sharon, Pages Corners, and Windsor.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 13,642 people, 5,087 households, and 3,591 families residing in the township. The population density was 671.5 per square mile (259.3/km²). The township contained 5,277 housing units at an average density of 259.7 per square mile (100.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 81.59% (11,131) White, 3.12% (426) Black or African American, 0.10% (13) Native American, 12.67% (1,729) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.71% (97) from other races, and 1.80% (246) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.13% (564) of the population.

Out of a total of 5,087 households, 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the township, 28.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. For every 100 females the census counted 91.3 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 87.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $92,440 (with a margin of error of +/- $11,773) and the median family income was $124,816 (+/- $10,353). Males had a median income of $96,156 (+/- $4,577) versus $65,327 (+/- $8,597) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $44,149 (+/- $2,813). About 2.7% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 10,275 people, 4,074 households, and 2,815 families residing in the township. The population density was 501.8 people per square mile (193.7/km²). There were 4,163 housing units at an average density of 203.3 per square mile (78.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 91.00% White, 2.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, 4.31% Asian, 0.55% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.72% of the population.

There were 4,074 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $71,377, and the median income for a family was $90,878. Males had a median income of $61,589 versus $44,653 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,529. About 2.5% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

In November 2004, township residents voted to change their form of government from a Township Committee to a Mayor-Council form under the Faulkner Act. The new form of government took effect as of July 1, 2005. In the new Mayor-Council form of government, the Mayor and Council function as independent branches of government. The Mayor is the Chief Executive of the Township and heads its Administration. The Mayor is elected on a non-partisan basis and serves for a four-year term. The Mayor may attend Council meetings but is not obliged to do so. The Council is the legislative branch. The five members of the Township Council are elected on a non-partisan basis for staggered four-year terms of office as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years with three seats up one year and the two other seats (and the mayoral seat) up for election two years laterr. At the annual organizational meeting held during the first week of January of each year, the Council selects a President and Vice President to serve for one-year terms. The Council President chairs the meetings of the governing body. Following an ordinance passed in December 2011, municipal elections were shifted from May to November, with the terms of all township council members then serving extend by six months, to December 31.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Robbinsville Township is David Fried, whose term of office ends December 31, 2017. Members of the Township Council are Council President Ronald C. Witt (2019), Council Vice President Vincent J. Calcagno (2017), Christine Ciaccio (2015), Sheree S. McGowan (2017), Dan Schuberth (2019).

Federal, state and county representation

Robbinsville Township is located in the 4th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 14th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Robbinsville Township had been in the 30th state legislative district.

New Jersey's Fourth Congressional District is represented by Christopher Smith (R). 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 14th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Linda R. Greenstein (D, Plainsboro Township) and in the General Assembly by Daniel R. Benson (D, Hamilton Township, Mercer County) and Wayne DeAngelo (D, Hamilton Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Mercer County is governed by a County Executive who oversees the day-to-day operations of the county and by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders that acts in a legislative capacity, setting policy. All officials are chosen at-large in partisan elections, with the executive serving a four-year term of office while the freeholders serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election each year. As of 2014, the County Executive is Brian M. Hughes (D, term ends December 31, 2015; Princeton). Mercer County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chair Andrew Koontz (D, 2016; Princeton), Freeholder Vice Chair Samuel T. Frisby, Sr. (2015; Trenton), Ann M. Cannon (2015; East Windsor Township), Anthony P. Carabelli (2016; Trenton), John A. Cimino (2014, Hamilton Township), Pasquale "Pat" Colavita, Jr. (2015; Lawrence Township) and Lucylle R. S. Walter (2014; Ewing Township) Mercer County's constitutional officers are County Clerk Paula Sollami-Covello (D, 2015), Sheriff John A. Kemler (D, 2014) and Surrogate Diane Gerofsky (D, 2016).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 8,361 registered voters in Robbinsville Township, of which 2,186 (26.1%) were registered as Democrats, 2,068 (24.7%) were registered as Republicans and 4,101 (49.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 49.6% of the vote (3,332 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 49.1% (3,297 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (88 votes), among the 7,310 ballots cast by the township's 9,099 registered voters (593 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 80.3%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 51.3% of the vote here (3,406 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 46.7% (3,099 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (76 votes), among the 6,643 ballots cast by the township's 8,413 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 52.9% of the vote here (3,215 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 44.7% (2,718 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (43 votes), among the 6,075 ballots cast by the township's 7,447 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 81.6.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 60.6% of the vote (2,102 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 35.4% (1,228 votes), and other candidates with 3.9% (136 votes), among the 4,433 ballots cast by the township's 9,076 registered voters (967 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 57.9% of the vote here (2,508 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 34.7% (1,503 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 6.0% (262 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (28 votes), among the 4,331 ballots cast by the township's 8,379 registered voters, yielding a 51.7% turnout.

Education

The Robbinsville Public School District now serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 2011-12 school year, the district's three schools had an enrollment of 2,858 students and 221.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.90:1. Schools in the district (with 2011-12 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Sharon Elementary School (865 students; in grades K-4), Pond Road Middle School (1,115; 5-8) and Robbinsville High School (878; 9-12).

Prior to the 2006-07 school year, high school students from here were sent to Lawrence High School in Lawrence Township as part of a now-ended sending/receiving relationship with the Lawrence Township Public Schools. Robbinsville High School serves all of Robbinsville Township's high school students on site and graduated its first class of 150 students in June 2008.

Development

Robbinsville Town Center, near the intersection of U.S. Route 130 and Route 33, is a mix of about 1,000 housing units, including loft-style condominiums, townhouses, duplexes, single-family homes, and real estate space.

Plans are underway to redevelop the portion of the township which lies to the south of Route 33, between the Hamilton Township border and U.S. Route 130. In December 2010, the state approved designating this property as an area in need of development, which allows the township to draft a plan and appoint a redeveloper to revive stalled construction projects there.

A planned Burger King restaurant at the corner of U.S. Route 130 south and Main Street has similarly generated concerns from neighbors. It has been since replaced with a Taco Bell restaurant which was scheduled to be completed in late 2014 but opened on April 15, 2015.

Robbinsville is home to a large warehouse colony, located on West Manor Way, just adjacent to the entrances and exit ramps to exits 7 and 8 off of Interstate 195. It is home to a variety of companies' distribution centers, including Scholastic Books, JDSU, Sleepy's, and Grainger Products. The Robbinsville Field House is a large membership gym located at the entrance to the warehouse colony near Route 526. An Amazon.com Fulfillment Center warehouse opened in the Matrix Business Park off of CR 539 in July 2014.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 99.99 miles (160.92 km) of roadways, of which 78.26 miles (125.95 km) were maintained by the municipality, 8.16 miles (13.13 km) by Mercer County, 8.37 miles (13.47 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 5.20 miles (8.37 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

County routes that pass through include County Route 526 which passes through the center of the township, and County Route 524 and County Route 539 (Old York Road), both of which travel along the southeastern border of the township. Four major U.S./State/Interstate routes pass through the Township: U.S. Route 130, Route 33, Interstate 195 (the Central Jersey Expressway), and the New Jersey Turnpike (Interstate 95).

I-195 is a major artery that connects Trenton to the Jersey Shore and the New Jersey Turnpike. Interchange 7A (for the Turnpike) is located in the township, with a 13-lane toll gate. 7A is well known for leading to not only Trenton, but to Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township and "Shore Points." In addition, exit 7A is the connector between the free Interstate 295 versus the tolled Turnpike. Trucks and many other vehicles are now beginning to shunpike by using 295 north to 195 east, to the Turnpike northbound (and vice versa). Furthermore, the turnpike interchange gives access to motorists who wish to continue on I-95 (by using I-295) since I-95 (the section north of Trenton) "abruptly" ends in Lawrence Township. (All signage directs drivers wishing to continue on I-95 north to take I-295 south to I-195 east to the Turnpike, I-95 at exit 7A.)

In November 2006, a bypass of Route was proposed to be constructed near the intersection at CR 526 to the intersection of U.S. Route 130 and Gold Drive in the township of Hamilton.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority completed a major Turnpike widening project by building new outer roadways (or truck lanes) extending the "dual-dual" configuration to exit 6 (Mansfield Township) from its former southern end at exit 8A (Monroe Township). In Robbinsville, the old exit 7A ramps were demolished and replaced with new ramp movements: two-lane high speed ramps to the turnpike north and from the turnpike south, and two-lane ramps from the turnpike north and to the turnpike south. The 7A toll gate was expanded with the addition of three more toll lanes. All the overpasses that cross over and pass underneath the turnpike were reconstructed. Finally, sound barriers were built at various locations along the turnpike, including by the Woods of Washington. The project was announced in December 2004 and completed in early November 2014.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from Trenton on the 606 route.

Robbinsville Township is home to Trenton-Robbinsville Airport (identifier N87), an uncontrolled general aviation airport, with a 4,275-foot (1,303 m) long runway. The airport averages 30,000 aircraft operations per year.

Wineries

Restaurants

Religious institutions

Notable people

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