Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey

Spring Lake Heights is a borough located in the southern coastal portion of Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 4,890,

The borough of Spring Lake Heights was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 19, 1927, from portions of Wall Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 3, 1927. The borough was named for Spring Lake, which was named for a clear spring-fed lake.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.43 km2), including 1.30 square miles (3.35 km2) of land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) of water (2.26%).

The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Lake Como, Sea Girt, Spring Lake and Wall Township.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Villa Park.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Spring Lake Heights had a population of 4,890. The median age was 53.0 years. 14.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 29.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 81.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 78.7 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 2,428 households in Spring Lake Heights, of which 16.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 38.8% were married-couple households, 18.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 37.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

2000 census

As of the 2000 United States census,

As of the 2000 Census, 32.7% of Spring Lake Heights residents were of Irish ancestry, the 16th-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and fifth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.

There were 2,511 households, out of which 17.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.9% were non-families. 41.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.82. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Spring Lake Heights is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. Most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Spring Lake Heights is Republican Christopher M. Campion Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the borough council are Council President William K. Graetz (R, 2025), Leonard Capristo (R, 2027), John C. Casagrande (R, 2026), Michele Degnan-Spang (R, 2026), Sara King (R, 2027) and Christopher C. Willms (R, 2025).

In October 2022, the borough council appointed Michele Degnan-Spang to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Peter A. Gallo Jr.

In January 2016, the borough council selected Arthur Herner from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Thomas O'Brien until he took office as mayor.

In January 2020, the borough council selected John Casagrande from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Christopher Campion until he took office as mayor.

Federal, state and county representation

Spring Lake Heights is located in the 4th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 10th state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,635 registered voters in Spring Lake Heights, of which 976 (26.9%) were registered as Democrats, 1,106 (30.4%) were registered as Republicans and 1,549 (42.6%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 56.3% of the vote (1,481 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 42.6% (1,122 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (28 votes), among the 2,654 ballots cast by the borough's 3,811 registered voters (23 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 64.4% of the vote (1,326 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 32.8% (676 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (20 votes), among the 2,059 ballots cast by the borough's 2,692 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.5%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 64.0% of the vote (1,427 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 30.1% (670 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (30 votes), among the 2,229 ballots cast by the borough's 2,873 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.6.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 71.5% of the vote (1,365 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.7% (491 votes), and other candidates with 2.7% (52 votes), among the 1,942 ballots cast by the borough's 3,831 registered voters (34 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.7%.

Education

The Spring Lake Heights School District, located on a campus, serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade at Spring Lake Heights Elementary School. As of the 2023–24 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 266 students and 40.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.6:1.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Manasquan High School in Manasquan, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Manasquan Public Schools. Manasquan High School also serves students from Avon-by-the-Sea, Belmar, Brielle, Lake Como, Sea Girt and Spring Lake, who attend Manasquan High School as part of sending/receiving relationships with their respective districts. As of the 2023–24 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 945 students and 81.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1.

Students from the borough, and all of Monmouth County, are eligible to attend one of the magnet schools in the Monmouth County Vocational School District—Marine Academy of Science and Technology, Academy of Allied Health & Science, High Technology High School, Biotechnology High School, and Communications High School.

Spring Lake Heights students are also served by Saint Catharine School (grades K–8) in Spring Lake and St. Rose High School (9–12) in Belmar, which operate under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.

Transportation

thumb|right|[[New Jersey Route 71|Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights]]

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Route 71 is the only state highway which traverses the borough. It follows Seventh Avenue from Sea Girt in the south to Wall Township in the north.

County Route 524 (Allaire Road) heads across Spring Lake Heights from Wall Township in the west to its eastern terminus where it meets Route 71 in the eastern portion of the borough. Route 35 just misses the northwest corner of the borough.

Public transportation

NJ Transit offers passenger train service at the Spring Lake station. Commuter service is provided on the North Jersey Coast Line, offering express and local service. Diesel service operates from Hoboken Terminal to Bay Head station. Electric service operates from New York Penn Station to Long Branch station, where the electrified portion of the line ends. Mid-line stations include Newark Penn Station, Newark Liberty International Airport Station, and Secaucus Junction.

NJ Transit bus service is available between the borough and Philadelphia on the 317 route, with local service offered on the 830 route.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Spring Lake Heights include:

John Amabile (1939–2012), football coach and scout
Anthony T. Augelli (1902–1985), United States federal judge
Thomas B. Considine (born 1964) Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance from 2010 to 2012
Barbara Friedrich (born 1949), gold medalist in javelin at 1967 Pan American Games who set the US record at
James J. Howard (1927–1988), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1988
Joseph P. Lordi (1919–1983), Essex County prosecutor and first chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission
Balls Mahoney (1972–2016), professional wrestler
Thomas McLernon (–1986), general manager of the New York City Transit Authority and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Valentina Sánchez (born 1995), model, television producer and beauty pageant titleholder

References

External links

Borough of Spring Lake Heights official website
Spring Lake Heights School District
School Data for the Spring Lake Heights School District, National Center for Education Statistics