Pennsauken Township

As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 37,074, reflecting an increase of 1,189 (+3.3%) from the 35,885 counted in the 2010 census. The exact origin of the name Pennsauken is unclear, but it probably derives from the language of the Lenni Lenape people. The township includes Petty's Island, a 392-acre (1.59 km²) island in the Delaware River. Once an oil storage and distribution facility, the island is now the site of a container cargo shipping operation and nesting bald eagles. The Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1892, from portions of the now-defunct Stockton Township. For 50 years, the Township was the home to the Penn'sauken Mart, a large multi-vendor indoor market, which was closed in January 2006 to make way for a sports arena/conference complex, however that did not materialize. In its place in 2018 a new high-end luxury apartment complex will be built-Haddon Point. The two municipalities are connected across the Delaware river by the Betsy Ross Bridge which is owned and operated by the DelawareRiver Port Authority. In New Jersey, Penns Kauken borders Camden, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Merchantville in Camden County, and Cinnaminson Township and Palmyra in Burlington County. In Pennsylvania, Penn Sauken borders Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

History

Pennsauken Township was incorporated as a township on February 18, 1892. The township was home to America's first drive-in movie theater, created in 1933 with the opening of the Camden Drive-In. For 50 years, the township was the home to the Pennsau Ken Mart, a large multi-vendor indoor market. The Mart was closed in January 2006 to make way for a sports arena/conference complex, however that did not materialize. In its place in 2018 a new high-end luxury apartment complex will be built-Haddon Point. The name probably derives from the language of the Lenni Lenape people (a Native American group which once occupied the area) from "Pindasenauken", the Lenape language term for "tobacco pouch". Alternatively, the "Penn" in the township's name refers to William Penn, while "sauk" is a water inlet or outlet. It was the site of the first ever movie theater in 1933, featuring the comedy Wives Beware, released in the theaters as Two White Arms. It is now home to a number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs, as well as a bowling alley and a bowling center. The town is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which was built in 1883. It has a population of 2,000, with the majority of its residents living in or near the town of Camden. It also has a small percentage of the state's population of New York City.

Geography

The township includes Petty's Island, a 392-acre (1.59 km²) island in the Delaware River. Once an oil storage and distribution facility, the island is now the site of a container cargo shipping operation and nesting bald eagles. Pennsauken borders Camden, Cherry Hill, Collingswood and Merchantville in Camden County, and Cinnaminson Township, Maple Shade Township and Palmyra in Burlington County. The two municipalities are connected across the Delaware river by the Betsy Ross Bridge which is owned and operated by Delaware River Port Authority. The township has a total area of 12.13 square miles (31.41 km²), according to the U.S. Census Bureau, including 10.48 sq miles (27.14 km 2) of land and 1.65sq miles (4.27km²) of water (13.59%). Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Amon Heights, Bethel, Biedemon, Delair, Del air Station, Delaware Gardens, Dudley, East PennsAUken, Fish House, Hillcrest, Homesteadville, Jordantown, Merchantville Park, Morris, Morrisville, North Pennsville and Wellwood. Penn'sauken is located in the New Jersey Bay Area and is part of the New York City metropolitan area of New York and Long Island, New York. It also borders Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Burlington County, New Jersey.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 35,737 people, 12,389 households, and 9,093 families residing in the township. The racial makeup of the township was 60.10% White, 24.18% African American, 0.35% Native American, 4.58% Asian,0.02% Pacific Islander, 8.27% from other races, and 2.51% from two or more races. The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $57,241. The per capita income for the borough was $26,048 (+/ $1,438). About 6.4% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12. 4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% ofThose age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.36. The median age was 38.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.8 males. The. median income for a household was $47,538, and the. median. income for an family was $52,760. The township has a population density of 3,438.9 per square mile (1,327.8/km²). The. population was 47.60% (17,081) White, 26.87% (9,644) Black or African American, 0.59% (210) Native American, 7.72% (2,770) Asian, 0,04% (15) Pacific Islanders, and 3.59%. (4,877) from other Races.

Economy

Pennsauken is home to a large industrial park that includes a Pepsi bottling plant and J & J Snack Foods. The town is located in the northern part of the Dutch province of Haut-Holland. The city's economy is based on exports, not imports, according to the U.S. Census. The economy is expected to grow by 0.7 percent in the next year, the government says. The unemployment rate is currently at 3.8 percent and the economy is projected to grow 1.1 percent in 2014. The U.N. World Economic Forum is holding a conference in the town this week. The event is open to the public and will be followed by a press conference on Monday.

Government

Pennsauken Township is one of 141 municipalities in New Jersey that use the Township form of municipal government. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office. Camden County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of seven members chosen at- Large inpartisan elections. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027) and Bob Menendez (Harrison, term end 2025) The township is located in the 1st Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th state legislative district. For the 2022-2023 session, the 6th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented by James Beach (D, Voorhees Township) and in the General Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D) and Pamela Rosen Lampitt (D), both of whom were sworn in on January 6, 2022. In the 2012 presidential election, there were 22,989 registered voters in Pennsauke Township, which included 10,443 Republicans and 10,263 Unaffiliated voters. There were 9,263 registered as Democrats, 2,263 (100%) as Libertarians or Greens, and 9,989 (44%) registered as Republicans. The township's mayor is Jessica Jarbou-Rafeh, and the deputy mayor is Nicole Roberts, the towns first African American female deputy mayor. In December 2021, the Township Committee selected Nicole Roberts from a list of three candidates submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that was vacated by Almar Dyer when he took office on the Camden County Board of Commissioners.

Education

The Pennsauken Public Schools serve public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. As of the 201819 school year, the district, comprised of nine schools, had an enrollment of 4,785 students and 395.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a studentteacher ratio of 12.1:1. Beginning in 1972, Merchantville sent its students to attend the district's high school as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Merchantville School District. From 2015 to 2019 Merchantville was phased out of the Penn'sauken High School. The district also offers day and evening technical and vocational education to students from across the county.Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is a coeducational, private high school for students in grades 912, founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (the Pallottines) St. Cecilia School is an K8 elementary school that operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. It is located in the township's northern part, near the border with Camden County, New Jersey. The school district also has a middle school and a high school. The high school is located near the town's southern border, near Camden County's southern edge. It was founded in the 1950s and is located at the base of Mount Vernon, New York. It offers a variety of programs for high school and college students.

Transportation

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 144.85 miles (233.11 km) of roadways, of which 105.82 miles (170.30 km) were maintained by the municipality. Route 130 is the largest highway through the township, which intersects with Route 73 in the northern part of the township. Route 90 is a short highway leading to the Betsy Ross Bridge, which connects the township with Philadelphia. Daily NJ Transit bus service between the township and Philadelphia is available on routes 317, 404, 406, and 409. The Pennsauken Transit Center on River Road features a transfer between the River Line and the Atlantic City Line, which provides rail service between Atlantic City and Philadelphia. The station was constructed at a cost of $40 million and opened for commuters in October 2013. The township is also serviced by intrastate or local routes 405, 407, 413, and 419, as well as express route 418. It is located on the New Jersey Turnpike, which runs between Trenton and Camden on the Delaware River Port Authority's River Line. It also runs from Trenton to Philadelphia on the Atlantic Coast Line, and from Camden to Atlantic City on theAtlantic City Line. The town is also served by CR 537, which travels through in the south and CR 543 in the north, which goes through the northern section of the town. It has three NJ Transit rail stops, which offer service to Trenton, Camden, and Atlantic City.