Chester Township, New Jersey

For the municipality formerly called Chester Township in Burlington County, see Maple Shade Township, New Jersey.

See also Chester Borough, New Jersey

Chester Township
—  Township  —
Chester Township highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Chester Township, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°46′51″N 74°41′10″W / 40.78083°N 74.68611°W / 40.78083; -74.68611Coordinates: 40°46′51″N 74°41′10″W / 40.78083°N 74.68611°W / 40.78083; -74.68611
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Morris
Incorporated	April 1, 1799
Government[1]
– Type	Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)
– Mayor	William A. Cogger (2013)[2]
– Administrator	Carol Isemann[3]
Area
– Total	29.3 sq mi (76.0 km2)
– Land	29.3 sq mi (76.0 km2)
– Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation[4]	712 ft (217 m)
Population (2010 Census)[5]
– Total	7,838
– Density	267.5/sq mi (103.1/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	07930
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	34-12610[6][7]
GNIS feature ID	0882199[8]
Website	http://www.chestertownship.org

Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838.^[5]

Chester Township is an affluent community in Morris County, about 40 miles (64 km) west of New York City that featurs Victorian style homes and palatial estates. Throughout the year there are craft fairs, Victorian house tours during the holiday season, jazz concerts in downtown park, and other community events. It was established by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 1, 1799, from portions of both Roxbury Township and Washington Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. Additional territories were acquired from Randolph Township (in 1806) and Washington Township (1840 and 1853). Portions of the township were taken on April 3, 1930 to form Chester Borough, a separate municipality surrounded entirely by Chester Township.^[9]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 29.3 square miles (76 km²), of which 0.03% is water.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	1,453		—
1940	874	*	−39.8%
1950	1,297		48.4%
1960	2,107		62.5%
1970	4,265		102.4%
1980	5,198		21.9%
1990	5,958		14.6%
2000	7,282		22.2%
2010	7,838		7.6%
Population sources: 1930 - 1990.[10] 2000[11] 2010[5] * lost territory

As of the census^[6] of 2000, there were 7,282 people, 2,323 households, and 2,014 families residing in the township. The population density was 248.3 people per square mile (95.9/km²). There were 2,377 housing units at an average density of 81.1 per square mile (31.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 95.12% white, 1.15% African American, 0.01% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.58% of the population.^[11]

Of the 2,323 households, 46.0% feature children under the age of 18, 79.6% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.3% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.29. In the township the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.^[11]

The median income for a household in the township was $117,298, and the median income for a family was $133,586. Males had a median income of $91,841 versus $52,076 for females. The per capita income for the township was $55,353. About 2.4% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.^[11]

History

The earliest records of individuals settling in the area date back to deeds dated in 1713, for properties located near a point where two Lenape Native American trails crossed at an area called Black River. With the arrival of the Rogerenes in 1730, the area developed as an agricultural community, producing applejack, flax and wool, as well as raising cattle. A burst of economic activity occurred starting in 1875 with the discovery of iron ore in the area, which led to the construction of dozens of mines, a blast furnace and many of the commercial and residential structures in the township date to that era. The discovery of far more abundant and productive mining sites in Minnesota's Mesabi Range ended that boom after nearly 15 years. Chester returned to its farming roots in the 20th Century.^[12][13]

Government

Local government

A Federal-style Colonial home in Chester Township

In 1958, Chester Township changed its form of government from the Township form to a Faulkner Act form, Small Municipality, Plan C. Its structure includes four Councilmembers and a Mayor, all elected at large for three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.^[1] The candidates run on a partisan basis at regular primary and general election times. Independent candidates, having declared their intentions at primary time, run only in the general election.

Chester Township's form of government features a strong mayor, who acts as the township's executive, overseeing the creation of a budget, preparing an annual financial report and the enforcement of state and local laws, and is responsible for hiring most township officials (with approval of the council). The council, which is the township's legislative body, selects one of its members to serve as president to preside when the mayor is not present. The mayor participates and votes in council sessions and makes committee assignments to council members. The mayor and a member of the council serve on the Planning Board.

As of 2011^[update], the members of the Chester Township Committee are Mayor William A. Cogger, Matt Kass, Brian Murphy, Karen Powell and Leonard Taylor.^[3]

Merger discussion with Chester Borough

In 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine created incentives for municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants to combine with other communities. The goal is to reduce the overall cost of government and thereby offer some tax relief. "New Jersey has 21 counties, 566 municipalities and 616 school districts, and property taxes average $6,800 per homeowner, or twice the national average." ^[14]

Chester Borough split from Chester Township in 1930 over the creation of sewer and water infrastructure in the more densely settled center of the municipality. The residents of the rural portions of the Township did not wish to financially support the construction and maintenance of a public sewer or water utility. Since that time rural Chester Township has relied upon individual private wells for water and septic systems for wastewater treatment while the Borough is primarily, although not entirely, served by public sewer and water. Concerns over the extension of utilities into the rural Township with the resultant potential for large scale growth served as an impediment to consolidation. The prohibition of utility extensions supported by the NJ State Plan and codified in the Highlands Water Protection Act, along with the development restrictions contained in the Highlands Act have lessened those concerns. Additionally, an aggressive land conservation program in the Township has resulted in over 40% of the 29-square-mile (75 km²) Township being placed into permanent preservation, further lessening worries about potential over-development. The two municipalities currently share a common K-8 school district, volunteer fire department, library, first aid squad and other municipal services.

Governor Corzine's plan to reduce or eliminate state aid had residents considering recombining towns. The two mayors publicly endorsed a cost/benefit analysis of a merger.^[14] However, a merger vote planned for November 2, 2010, was delayed until 2011 due to Governor Christie's elimination of equalization funds that ensured some taxpayers do not pay more due to the merger.^[15]

Federal, state and county representation

Chester Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.^[16] The township was relocated to the 25th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.^[5] The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.^[16]

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

24th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Steve Oroho (R, Franklin) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Gary R. Chiusano (R, Augusta) and Alison Littell McHose (R, Franklin).^[17] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).^[18] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).^[19]

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.^[20] As of 2011, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director William J. Chegwidden (Wharton),^[21] Deputy Freeholder Director Douglas R. Cabana (Boonton Township),^[22] Gene F. Feyl (Denville),^[23] Ann F. Grassi (Parsippany-Troy Hills),^[24] Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville),^[25] John J. Murphy (Morris Township)^[26] and Margaret Nordstrom (Washington Township).^[27][28]

Politics

In recent years, according to the results of previous elections, Chester Township tends to support the Republican Party on the national and state levels. In the 2008 Presidential Election, Republican John McCain received 63% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama, who received around 36%.^[29] In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election, Republican Chris Christie received 72% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine, who received around 19%.^[30]

Education

Students in grades K-8 attend the Chester Township Public School District, together with children from Chester Borough. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[31]) are Dickerson Elementary School (grades K-2; 413 students), Bragg Intermediate School (3-5; 465), and Black River Middle School (6-8; 499). Dickerson and Bragg Schools are located on County Route 510, east of Chester Borough; Black River Middle School is on County Route 513 (North Road), north of Chester Borough.

Students in public school for grades nine through twelve in both communities attend West Morris Mendham High School, part of the West Morris Regional High School District, which serves students from the surrounding Morris County school districts of Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and from Washington Township.^[32]

Transportation

New Jersey Transit local bus service is provided on the MCM4 and MCM5 routes.^[33]

Local recreation and environment

Of the township’s 29.8 square miles (77 km²), 42 percent, or about 12 square miles (31 km²), is permanently protected from development. There are nature reserves and parkland, but also agricultural property that is deed restricted under the state Farmland Preservation Program, which buys the development rights while allowing the farmer to retain title and continue working the land.^[13]

Chester has been described as a rural environment that caters to "agritourism." The township has developed this reputation by preserving farmland through public investment in open spaces.^[13]

The townships parks are preserves are free and open to the public. A partial list includes:

• Chubb Park: an 85-acre (340,000 m²) area with playing fields, skating, ponds, and sledding.^[34]
• Tiger Brook Park: Purchased with the assistance of the New Jersey Green Acres Program in 1980, this 270-acre (1.1 km²) preserve contains a 10-acre (40,000 m²) reservoir.^[34]
• Hacklebarney State Park: This 890-acre (3.6 km²) park was established in 1924 with the donation of 32 acres (130,000 m²). The Black River, which bisects the park, is one of the premier trout fishing streams in New Jersey.^[34]
• Black River Fish and Wildlife Management Area: This area consists of 3,020 acres (12.2 km²) in the northern portion of the Township. It was purchased under the Green Acres Acquisition Program for recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, canoeing, cross-country skiing and hiking.^[13]

Development is highly constrained due to state and town ordinance. The entire Township is located in the New Jersey Highlands with approximately 86% of the land area designated as part of the more highly constrained Highlands Preservation Area. This environmentally sensitive area supplies drinking water to two-thirds of the state’s residents. In 2004, the state passed the Highlands Preservation Act to limit development. In 2005, 27 new homes were built and only 16 in 2006.^[13]

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Chester Township include:

• Jim Breuer (born 1967), comedian.^[35]
• Alex Buzbee (born 1985), defensive end for the Washington Redskins of the NFL.^[36]
• Neil Cavuto (born 1958), Fox News Channel anchor.^[37]
• James Gandolfini (born 1961), actor.^[38]
• Dave Levey, finalist on Hell's Kitchen.^[39]
• Rick Porcello (born 1988), pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.^[40]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 110.
2. ^ 2011 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed July 18, 2011.
3. ^ ^{a b} Township Directory, Chester Township. Accessed April 28, 2011.
4. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Township of Chester, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
5. ^ ^{a b c d} 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State, p. 2. Accessed July 18, 2011.
6. ^ ^{a b} "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
7. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
8. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
9. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 192.
10. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 2, 2009. Accessed July 6, 2011.
11. ^ ^{a b c d} Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights: Chester township, Morris County, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 18, 2011.
12. ^ "Chester History". Chester Township, NJ. 2010. http://www.chestertownship.org/history.html. Retrieved 2010-11-02. 
13. ^ ^{a b c d e} Cheslow, Jerry (June 24, 2007). "Don’t Count on Running Into the Neighbors". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/24/realestate/24livi.html. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
14. ^ ^{a b} Van Dyke, Meghan (2008). "The Chesters look at forming one community". Daily Record (Morristown). http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080501/COMMUNITIES11/805010324. Retrieved 2008-06-04. 
15. ^ Goldberg, Dan (2010). "Chesters merger panel puts off meeting until next year". The Star-Ledger. http://www.nj.com/news/local/index.ssf/2010/10/chesters_merger_panel_puts_off.html. Retrieved 2010-10-06. 
16. ^ ^{a b} 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 56. Accessed July 18, 2011.
17. ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-08-04. 
18. ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
19. ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
20. ^ What is a Freeholder?, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 5, 2011.
21. ^ William J. Chegwidden, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
22. ^ Douglas R. Cabana, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
23. ^ Gene F. Feyl, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
24. ^ Ann F. Grossi, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
25. ^ Thomas J. Mastrangelo, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
26. ^ John J. Murphy, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
27. ^ Margaret Nordstrom, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
28. ^ Meet the Freeholders, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
29. ^ "Presidential Election Results Morris County". State of New Jersey. 2009. http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/08-gen-elect-presidential-results-morris.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
30. ^ "Governor Morris County". State of New Jersey. 2009. http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2009-governor_results-morris.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
31. ^ Data for the Chester Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 18, 2011.
32. ^ West Morris Regional High School District 2010 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 28, 2011. "Established in 1958, the West Morris Regional High School District operates two schools, West Morris Central High School and West Morris Mendham High School. The district serves the students of five Morris County communities, Chester Borough, Chester Township, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township and Washington Township, in grades 9 through 12. Students from Washington Township attend West Morris Central High School, and students from the Chesters and the Mendhams attend West Morris Mendham High School."
33. ^ Morris County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed July 18, 2011.
34. ^ ^{a b c} "Chester Township Parks". Chester Township, NJ. 2007. http://www.chestertownship.org/parks.html. Retrieved 2007-10-29. 
35. ^ Keller, Joel. "IN PERSON; Mr. Breuer's Neighborhood", The New York Times, October 16, 2005. Accessed February 28, 2008.
36. ^ Former Hoya Football Standout Alex Buzbee Signs with Washington Redskins, CSTV, May 15, 2007. Accessed October 14, 2007. "Like most college seniors, Georgetown University senior Alex Buzbee (Chester, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) went through a series of job interviews."
37. ^ Fackelmann, Kathleen. "MS part of Cavuto's world", USA Today, December 21, 2005. Accessed July 16, 2008.
38. ^ McGeveran, Tom (2002). "Sopranos Suburb?". The New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/2002/sopranos-suburb. Retrieved 2008-09-10. 
39. ^ Manochio, Matt (2009). "Chester native finalist on "Hell's Kitchen" cooking show". Daily Record. http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20091006/COMMUNITIES/91005113/Chester-native-finalist-on--Hell-s-Kitchen---cooking-show&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL. Retrieved October 6, 2009. 
40. ^ Ash, Lorraine. "Name dropping in Morris: Life in county shapes luminaries' successes", Daily Record (Morristown), July 8, 2009. Accessed April 28, 2011. "Rick Porcello, 20 - Grew up in Chester Township, now lives in Detroit"

External links

• Chester Township website
• Chester Township Public School District
• Chester Township Public School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Chester Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• West Morris Regional High School District
• West Morris Central High School
• West Morris Mendham High School
• Daily Record, area newspaper
• Photographic montage of Chester Township
• Chester Game Association