Towns reflect on ups and downs of census

By: Michelle McGuinness
   Recent U.S. Census Bureau figures from 2005-2006 show a surprising, though slight dip in population for 19 out of 40 towns in Burlington County, including Bordentown City.
   Some suburban areas such as Bordentown Township and rural areas like Chesterfield did see a rise in population, according to the data. However, Bordentown City Mayor John Collom said the decrease in his city was probably not caused by people moving to more suburban or rural areas.
   Between 2005 and 2006, Bordentown City’s population dipped from 3,978 people to 3,953 people.
   "The decrease has been gradual and over many years and I think the reason for that has been smaller families," Mayor Collom said.
   He said the 1-square-mile city is built out, meaning there is no more room to create new houses. That, coupled with the smaller size of families, could have contributed to the decrease, he said.
   "I think a lot of it has to do with what our society is doing at the moment right now – smaller families and married couples waiting longer to have children," Mayor Collom said. "Who knows what the future will bring?"
   Mayor Collom said the decrease has not been steep and probably took place over a long period of time.
   He said he doesn’t think that taxes are to blame because the people moving into the area are able to afford both to buy a house and renovate it. "So I don’t think taxes or money is a problem," he said.
   Mayor Collom did say older residents moving south could also have contributed to the decrease. "Close living in a small town or a small city is not everybody’s piece of cake," he said.
   Meanwhile, Chesterfield and Bordentown Township have both seen an increase in population.
   Chesterfield’s population has jumped from 6,176 in 2005 to 6,451 in 2006, one of the largest increases in the county. Bordentown Township’s population has gone from 10,280 in 2005 to 10,469 in 2006, according to the census data.
   Chesterfield Mayor Brian Kelly attributed the increase to development in the town’s Old York Village.
   The village operates under a Transfer of Developmental Rights program. According to Mayor Kelly, developers who want to build in Old York Village in the "receiving area" must first purchase credits from outside of the village in the "sending area." The credits deed restrict farmland in Chesterfield, protecting it from development.
   "In effect what we’ve tried to do is create concentrated growth … and we’ve at the same time preserved the industry of agriculture in the town," Mayor Kelly said.
   He said the program has been successful in that it’s allowed Chesterfield to grow without losing any of its agricultural land.
   "The alternative for the town would have been the typical sprawl development," he said. He said that type of development would have caused higher taxes, consumed open space and eliminated farmland.
   In contrast, Mayor Kelly said Chesterfield’s TDR program has allowed the town to concentrate growth and also concentrate emergency services like police so that taxes would not have to rise too much.
   However, the mayor said the town is feeling the effects of the growth in its school system, but warned that the census numbers could be misleading because of the prisons in town, the Alfred C. Wagner Youth Correctional Facility and the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, which could raise overall population totals.
   Mayor Kelly said Chesterfield will continue to build in Old York Village for now, concentrating its growth in order to preserve farmland. He said any development outside of the village would be minimal because developing only in the village has been effective so far.
   "It has been recognized at the state level as a leading plan for smart growth," he said.
   Bordentown Township Mayor George Chidley said the increase is a "two-edged sword." While it brings in commercial development to help offset taxes, there is always the threat that taxes will rise anyway because of the need to provide additional services for new residents.
   "We try to control that so we make sure we maintain a higher quality of life and keep our taxes in check," Mayor Chidley said.
   He attributed the increase to new developments that were not fully constructed during the last census and have recently been completed.
   "The numbers are probably just catching up at this point," he said.
   Mayor Chidley said the area attracts new residents because of its easy access to several major roads, including the New Jersey Turnpike. He also said the school system and lower taxes are a draw for many newcomers.
   However, Mayor Chidley said Bordentown Township does not have much more room to build new housing.
   "We’re pretty much approaching buildout," he said. "There’s some minor capacity left but not much."
   Because of this, Mayor Chidley said he does not foresee this upward trend continuing.
   "It is what it is unfortunately," he said.