Океан Тауншип, Нью-Джерси: Обзор и История

Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US
the other Ocean Township in New Jersey

Ocean Township is a township situated on the Jersey Shore in east central Monmouth County, within the U. S. state of New Jersey. The township is a bedroom suburb of New York City. Ocean Township has no central downtown and consists of three main unincorporated communities: Oakhurst, Wanamassa, and Wayside. The township is divided into two ZIP codes, 07755 (Oakhurst) and 07712 (Wanamassa and Wayside). Small portions have Allenhurst (07711), Deal (07723) and Long Branch (07740) ZIP codes. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 27,672,

The township was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1849, from portions of Shrewsbury Township, Portions of the township were since taken to form Long Branch (April 11, 1867), Eatontown (April 4, 1873), Asbury Park (March 26, 1874), Neptune Township (February 26, 1879), Sea Bright (March 21, 1889), Allenhurst (April 26, 1897), Deal (March 7, 1898), Monmouth Beach (March 9, 1906), Interlaken (March 11, 1922), and Loch Arbour (April 23, 1957). The township derives its name from its original seaside location.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 10.99 square miles (28.47 km2), including 10.87 square miles (28.15 km2) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.32 km2) of water (1.14%).) and Wanamassa (2010 population 4,532) are unincorporated communities and census designated places (CDPs) located within Ocean Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Cold Indian Spring Lake, Colonial Terrace, Deal Lake, Deal Park, Dogs Corners, Edgemere, Elberon Park, Green Grove, Indian Springs, Oakhurst Manor, Poplar, Shadow Lawn Manor, Wayside, Wertheins Corner, West Allenhurst and West Deal. The township is bordered by the Monmouth County municipalities of Eatontown and West Long Branch on the north; Long Branch, Deal, Allenhurst and Interlaken on the east; Neptune and Asbury Park on the south; and Tinton Falls on the west.

As of the 2020 U. S. census,

There were 10,254 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.14. The largest, Joe Palaia Park (formerly the Deal Test Site), is the site of the Township's July 4 celebration, and the Italian American Association of the Township of Ocean's annual five day festival. Joe Palaia Park features many notable amenities, including a disc golf course and a playground. During the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, the park became known for hosting a Drive in theater for the community to enjoy, which took place at a small theater located within the park. Ocean Township also contains Weltz Park, an undeveloped parcel of the Monmouth County Park System. Other parks within Ocean Township include Dave Dahrouge Park, which features tennis courts and softball fields, along with Wayside Park, which has basketball courts for public use. The township also offers a variety of public buildings for the community to rent out, including the Oakhurst Park Meeting Room. Such facilities provide supplies for a wide variety of events, including appliances and tables.

Ocean Township operates within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Council Manager form of government (Plan A), implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1963. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The Township Council is composed of five members who are chosen at large by the voters on a non partisan basis to serve concurrent four year terms of office in elections held as part of the May municipal election. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The five member Council sets policy and adopts local ordinances while the Council appointed Township Manager oversees the day to day administration of the Township. The Mayor presides over the Council and, as a member, has a voice and a vote in its proceedings. Christopher P. Siciliano stepped down as mayor in October 2022 after receiving confirmation as the Monmouth County superintendent of elections. John Napolitani was chosen to fill the vacant mayoral seat and Keely Terry was sworn in to fill the vacancy on the Township Council the following month. In January 2017, John Napolitani was chosen to fill the seat vacated by Deputy Mayor William Garofalo when he resigned from office in December 2016; Napolitani will serve on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In the May 2015 municipal election, the One Ocean slate won, with incumbents William Garofalo, Richard Long, Donna Schepiga and Christopher P. Siciliano winning re election together with Robert Acerra, who won his first term of office. At its January 1, 2015, meeting, the Township Council chose Christopher Siciliano to fill the position of mayor that was vacated when William Larkin resigned from office the previous November after 24 years on the council and the previous 12 years as mayor. The council appointed Richard Long to fill Larkin's vacant council seat. In October 2002, former mayor Terrance D. Weldon, who was also the city manager of Asbury Park, pleaded guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in Newark to taking $64,000 in bribes from developers. His arrest was part of the first phase of a federal investigation known as Operation Bid Rig. On August 25, 2007, after almost five years, Weldon was sentenced to 58 months of prison and assessed a fine of $20,000 by Senior U. S. District Judge William H. Walls.

Ocean Township is located in the 4th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district.

as of 2010, the township had a total of 131.98 mile (212 km) of roadways, of which 119.74 mile (193 km) were maintained by the municipality, 4.56 mile (7 km) by Monmouth County and 7.68 mile (12 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Ocean Township is accessible by several major roads. The Route 18 freeway traverses the western part while Route 35 passes through in the east. Route 66 runs along the southern border with Neptune and Route 71 straddles the eastern border with Deal and West Long Branch. The Garden State Parkway is located west of Ocean in neighboring Tinton Falls. Many of Ocean Township's businesses and commercial activities are located on these major roads, including the current construction of the Ocean Commons on Route 35, which will feature businesses like a Wawa, Inc Other notable commercial areas located on these major roads include the Seaview Shopping Center (formerly Seaview Square Mall), which is located off of Route 66 and features businesses like a Costco and HomeGoods.

A brief stretch of NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line passes through in the eastern part of the township, but the closest stations are at Allenhurst and Elberon. Commuter service is available on the North Jersey Coast Line south to Point Pleasant Beach and Bay Head or north to points such as Belmar, Long Branch, Newark, Hoboken Terminal and Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. NJ Transit provides local bus transportation on the 832 and 837 routes. Ferry service is available through the SeaStreak service in Highlands, a trip that involves about a 25–30 minute drive from Ocean Township (depending on the section of town) to reach the departing terminal. SeaStreak offers ferry service to New York City with trips to Pier 11 (on the East River at Wall Street) and East 35th Street in Manhattan. The ferry service also offers seasonal travel, such as to the public beaches on Sandy Hook, baseball games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, trips to Broadway matinees, Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, college football games at West Point, fall foliage in the Hudson Valley, and to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, among other excursions.