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Plastic Surgery in Mount Laurel, New Jersey plasticsurgerydrwarren.co... |
Mount Laurel Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, and is an edge city "suburb" of Philadelphia. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 40,221. It is also the home of NFL Films. Mount Laurel Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1872, from portions of Evesham Township.[7] Ramblewood is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Mount Laurel Township.
[edit] GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 21.9 square miles (56.8 km²), of which, 21.8 square miles (56.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.55%) is water. Mount Laurel Township borders Maple Shade Township, Moorestown Township, Willingboro Township, Westampton Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton Township, Medford Township, Evesham Township, and Cherry Hill Township. [edit] Demographics
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 40,221 people, 16,570 households, and 11,068 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,844.3 people per square mile (712.0/km²). There were 17,163 housing units at an average density of 787.0/sq mi (303.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.10% White, 6.92% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population. There were 16,570 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98. In the township the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% 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 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males. The median income for a household in the township was $63,750, and the median income for a family was $76,288. Males had a median income of $55,597 versus $37,198 for females. The per capita income for the township was $32,245. About 2.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over. [edit] Government[edit] Local governmentMount Laurel Township changed its form of government in 1970 from a Township Committee form to a Council-Manager system under the Faulkner Act. In this form of government the Township Manager oversees the daily functions of the Township. Township government consists of a Township Committee consists of five members elected at large in partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[9] Members of the Mount Laurel Township Committee are Mayor Jim Keenan, Deputy Mayor Peter McCaffrey, Linda Bobo, Chris Smith, and Tracy Riley .[10] In May 2006, Township Manager Patricia Halbe announced her resignation from the post she held for eleven years.[11] While Halbe will remain in the title of Municipal Clerk, a local government consulting firm was retained in June 2006 to conduct a search for Halbe's replacement as Manager. [edit] Federal, state and county representationMount Laurel Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th Legislative District.[12] New Jersey's Third Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Ocean County, is represented by John Adler (D, Cherry Hill). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken). For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 8th district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Phil Haines (R, Springfield Township) and in the Assembly by Dawn Marie Addiego (R, Evesham Township) and Scott Rudder (R, Medford Township).[13] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[14] Burlington County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. As of 2008[update], Burlington County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director James K. Wujcik (Cinnaminson Township, 2009), Deputy Director Joseph B. Donnelly (Cinnaminson Township, 2010), Dawn Marie Addiego (Evesham Township, 2008), Aubrey A. Fenton (Willingboro Township, 2008) and William S. Haines, Jr. (Medford Township, 2009).[15] [edit] Landmarks Laurel Acres Park is known for its Veteran's Memorial, fishing lake, playground, and huge grassy hill used for concerts and sledding in the winter, Laurel Acres Park is right along Church Street at Academy Road. The Mount Laurel Baseball League and the Mount Laurel United Soccer Club play in the park's sports fields.[16] [edit] EducationFor Kindergarten through eighth grade, public school students attend the Mount Laurel Schools. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[17] are six K-4 elementary schools — Countryside (377 students), Fleetwoodl (358), Hillside (428), Larchmont (419), Parkway (375) and Springville (448) — Mount Laurel Hartford School for grades 5 & 6 (1,053 students) and Thomas E. Harrington Middle Schoolfor grades 7 & 8 (1,057). Parkway Elementary School was one of four schools in New Jersey recognized by the national Blue Ribbon Schools Program, awarded by the United States Department of Education, for the 2005-06 school year.[18] Public school students in Mount Laurel Township for grades 9-12 attend Lenape High School, located in Medford Township.[19] The high school is one of four schools in the Lenape Regional High School District, which serves students from Evesham Township, Medford Lakes, Medford Township, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township, Southampton Township, Tabernacle Township and Woodland Township.[20] [edit] TransportationThe New Jersey Turnpike passes through Mount Laurel Township. The Turnpike's James Fenimore Cooper rest area is located between Interchanges 4 and 5 northbound at milepost 39.4.[21] Mount Laurel hosts Exit 4 of the Turnpike, with the 4 toll gate consisting of 8 lanes at the gate. Interstate 295 passes through the township, with three exits (Exit 36: Berlin/Tacony Bridge/Route 73, Exit 40: Moorestown/Mount Holly/Route 38, Exit 43: Delran/Rancocas Woods). Two other major thoroughfares through Mount Laurel are Route 38 and Route 73. New Jersey Transit provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 317 and 413 bus routes, with local service on the 457 line.[22] [edit] Mount Laurel DecisionThe Mount Laurel Decision is a judicial interpretation of the New Jersey State Constitution that requires municipalities to use their zoning powers in an affirmative manner to provide a realistic opportunity for the production of housing affordable to low and moderate income households. The decision was a result of a lawsuit brought against the town by the N.A.A.C.P. that was decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 1975 and reaffirmed in a subsequent decision in 1983.[23] The history behind this, and the story leading to the Decision was highlighted in a book by David L. Kirp called "Our Town".[24] Mount Laurel was a small, poor rural farming community until it was hit with massive suburban growth from Philadelphia in the latter 1900s. Poor families, whose history had resided there for centuries, were suddenly priced and forced out. In 1970, at a meeting about a proposal for affordable housing, held at an all black church in Mount Laurel, Mayor Bill Haines summed up the newcomers perspectives by saying "If you people can't afford to live in our town, then you'll just have to leave."[24] Even though the poor black families in Mount Laurel were not from urban ghettos, and were not involved in gang activity, the new suburban influx thought otherwise, and significantly delayed the creation of affordable housing, citing concerns of gang activity and an influx of inner city criminals. Exampled comments from town meetings against affordable housing included "we need this like Custer needed more Indians"; "it's reverse discrimination"; "we lived in this in South Philly and Newark" they said, and that the housing would be a "breeding ground for violent crime and drug abuse".[24] Resident advocates of the housing were treated with abuse and threats. Leading advocate Ethel Lawrence, a poor black resident who lived her life in Mount Laurel, had her house repeatedly vandalized, and once her bedroom window was shot at.[25][26] Long time white residents also turned to try to force the poor blacks out of town. Although the court ruled in favor of creating affordable housing, residents did manage to delay the process for decades.[24] [edit] Notable residentsNotable current and former residents of Mount Laurel Township include:
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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