| About this issue Communities' Today & Tomorrow is part of an occasional series examining how selected Gloucester County municipalities have changed in the decade between 1990-2000 and what the future may hold. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau was used to make the analysis. |
Courier-Post Staff
Monroe finds itself in the midst of a major transition: from rural community to rapidly growing suburb.
Along with the growth has come all the typical problems: crowded schools, traffic congestion on the Black Horse Pike and the need to attract big businesses to keep property taxes stable.
Over the past decade, the township's population has grown by more than 2,200 people to 28,967, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. Monroe is now Gloucester County's second largest community.
During that same decade, nearly 1,500 new homes were built in the township. Roughly 1,800 are in various stages of construction and up to 1,000 more are in the planning or conceptual stages.
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Monroe population 1990: 26,703 2000: 28,967 Change: +8.5% Source: 2000 Census
Monroe households |
Roughly three-quarters of the township's land is in the Pinelands where development is restricted. Most new housing lies outside the protected zone.
Unlike its neighbor, Washington Township, Monroe has plenty of room to grow.
``Monroe Township was mostly at a standstill," said Mayor Mary Mazza Duffy. "But then we started growing by leaps and bounds."
On the business end, a Starbucks, a tire store and a Verizon phone store near Sam's Club on the Black Horse Pike are all in the planning stages. A new diner will soon be built on Malaga Road and the pike.
In the schools, space is at a premium. There are 5,100 students in the district's six schools. But enrollment is growing an average of 100 students per year and that number is expected to jump to 250 by September 2004, Superintendent Charles Ivory said.
To alleviate the strain, several projects are in the works.
In March, voters approved a $34 million school bond in a referendum. Part of the money will be used to renovate the Willamstown Middle School and add 60 classrooms.
Other plans include expanding the Whitehall school within the next three years to handle the next wave of elementary school students.
Over the next decade, the district wants to build an early childhood learning center for prekindergarten and kindergarten students.
Although longtime resident Butch Dunning has seen the township change drastically over the past 30 years, the changes have mostly been positive, he said.
"The traffic's busier, but the quality of life stayed the same or got better," Dunning said.
And as the township continues to grow, he hopes it will stay that way.
Today and Tomorrow stories:- Profile: Monroe
- Long-awaited building boom is the byword
Monroe stamds at a crossroads between a formerly rural town and a rapidly developing suburban community. - Schools experience growing pains
By 2004, Monroe student enrollment is expected to jump by 250 children per year. - Cultural, athletic pursuits on the increase
The Williamstown Performing Arts Center expands the scope and quality of cultural activities for area residents. - Scattered sites attract new enterprises in Monroe
For Gloucester County's second-largest community, commercial development remains a challenge. - Programs cater to burgeoning senior population
Monroe senior citizens keep occupied with trips and social activities. - Expansion date remains indefinite while library copes
The Monroe Township Public Library continues to offer residents a lot in a little space. - Housing explosion has hit its stride
New houses are popping up like spring flowers everywhere in Monroe. - What do you think will be different in Monroe in 2010