Old Bridge Township, New Jersey

Old Bridge Township is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located in the Raritan Valley Region and within the New York Metro Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was the state's 21st-most-populous municipality, with a population of 66,876, As of the 2010 Census, the township was ranked 18th in the state by population, after being the state's 21st most-populous municipality in 2000. The township is a bedroom suburb of New York City located across the Raritan Bay from Staten Island. and about south of Newark.

What is now Old Bridge Township was originally incorporated as Madison Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1869, from portions of South Amboy Township (now City of South Amboy). In a referendum held on November 5, 1975, voters approved changing the township's name to Old Bridge Township by a margin of 7,150 votes to 4,888. The township's name was changed to avoid confusion with the borough of Madison in Morris County. When the township was established, the area was made up primarily of farms and the population grew slowly. In 1880, the population was 1,662 and by 1950 it had reached 7,365. Over the next decade, a building boom started; as farms gave way to developments, the population tripled to 22,772 by 1960.

In 2016, SafeWise named Old Bridge Township as the sixth-safest city in America to raise a child; the township was the second-highest ranked of the 12 communities in New Jersey included on the list.

History

The first inhabitants of the area known as Old Bridge were the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. Those who settled in Old Bridge and other parts of Central Jersey were known as the Unami, or "people down the river."

Thomas Warne, one of the original 24 proprietors of East Jersey, was listed as a landowner of this area, and his son is said to have been the earliest European resident residing in the Cheesequake area in 1683. John and Susannah Brown were granted a land grant from the King of England in 1737. They called the area Brownville, and this part of township is still known as Browntown. The community of Old Bridge in East Brunswick derives its name from the fact that the first bridge spanning the South River was built there, and as other bridges were built across the river the first one became known as "the Old Bridge."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 40.93 square miles (106.00 km2), including 38.18 square miles (98.89 km2) of land and 2.75 square miles (7.11 km2) of water (6.71%). Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names within Old Bridge Township include Browntown, Brunswick Gardens, Cheesequake, Cottrell Corners, Matchaponix, Moerls Corner, Morristown, Parlin, Redshaw Corner, Runyon, Sayre Woods South, South Old Bridge and Texas.

Old Bridge borders the municipalities of East Brunswick, Monroe Township, Sayreville and Spotswood in Middlesex County; Aberdeen, Manalapan, Marlboro and Matawan in Monmouth County; and shares a border with the borough of Staten Island in New York City, across the Raritan Bay.

Major streams/rivers

Raritan Bay
South River
Matchaponix Brook
Deep Run
Tennets Brook
Barclay Brook
Cheesequake Creek

Climate

In previous decades the climate of Old Bridge was classified as hot-summer humid continental (Dfa) but according to the most recent temperature numbers it now has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). [https://weatherspark.com/y/23795/Average-Weather-in-Old-Bridge-New-Jersey-United-States-Year-Round] The hardiness zones are 7a and 7b. [https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/]

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 65,375 people, 23,777 households, and 17,333 families in the township. The population density was . There were 24,638 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 74.06% (48,418) White, 6.21% (4,063) Black or African American, 0.20% (129) Native American, 14.34% (9,374) Asian, 0.02% (10) Pacific Islander, 2.72% (1,780) from other races, and 2.45% (1,601) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.81% (7,064) of the population.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census

There were 21,438 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.30.

Clay industry

The clay soil in the area surrounding Old Bridge was used for pottery and bricks long before the first European settlers. "Fine clay had surrounded Cheesequake Creek when the Lenni Lenape Native Americans lived there. The early discoveries of clay along the banks opened the clay industry to Middlesex County as well as the state of New Jersey. By the 1800s clay was a major industry. The clay deposits found along Cheesequake Creek are reported to be some of the finest stoneware clays in the United States." The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form. The Township Council is comprised of nine members, with six elected to represent wards and three elected at-large from the township as a whole in partisan elections held as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years. All elected officials serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with the six ward seats up for election together and the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat up for vote together two years later.

, the Mayor of Old Bridge Township is Republican Eleanor "Debbie" Walker, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. The members of the Township Council are Council President Mary Rita Sohor (R, 2027; At Large), Council Vice-President Anita Greenberg-Belli (R, 2027; At-Large), Darin Accettulli (R, 2029; Ward 2), Erik DePalma (R, 2027; At Large), Kiran Desai (D, 2029; Ward 3), David Merwin (D, 2029; Ward 1), Anthony Paskitti (R, 2029; Ward 5), and Mark Razzoli (R, 2029; Ward 4), and Carl Von Stetten (R, 2029; Ward 6).

Darin Accettulli was appointed to fill the Wars 2 seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Erik DePalma, until he took office as an at-large councilmember. Accettulli will serve on an interim basis until the November 2024 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

Republican Mark Razzoli had been behind Democrat Jill DeCaro by 11 votes at the November 2021 general election for the seat in Ward 4. In December 2021, the results were invalidated after it was confirmed that dozens of residents had received incorrect ballots that had voters casting ballots in the incorrect ward. In a March 2022 special election, DeCaro was elected over Razzoli by an 838 to 693 margin.

In January 2020, the Township Council selected Erik DePalma from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the Second Ward seat expiring in December 2021 that became vacant when Mary Sohor resigned to take office after taking office to an at-large seat.

In June 2016, the Township Council appointed June Dungee to fill the vacant Third Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Reginald Butler until his death earlier that month; Dungee served until the November 2016 general election, when voters choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.

The Old Bridge Municipal Court has authority over misdemeanor cases related to traffic violations, criminal offenses, and local ordinance violations that occur within Old Bridge Township.

Federal, state and county representation

Old Bridge Township is split between the 6th and 12th Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 12th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 38,907 registered voters in Old Bridge Township, of which 10,946 (28.1%) were registered as Democrats, 6,363 (16.4%) were registered as Republicans and 21,577 (55.5%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 21 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 54.1% of the vote (13,127 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 44.9% (10,911 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (240 votes), among the 24,402 ballots cast by the township's 39,947 registered voters (124 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 61.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 51.0% of the vote (14,001 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 47.4% (13,019 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (274 votes), among the 27,464 ballots cast by the township's 39,454 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.6%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 51.0% of the vote (12,722 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 47.7% (11,884 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (237 votes), among the 24,931 ballots cast by the township's 36,428 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 68.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.3% of the vote (10,211 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 30.3% (4,532 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (206 votes), among the 15,147 ballots cast by the township's 40,437 registered voters (198 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 37.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 57.8% of the vote (9,511 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 35.9% (5,898 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.9% (976 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (168 votes), among the 16,444 ballots cast by the township's 38,430 registered voters, yielding a 42.8% turnout.