Census 2010: Bernards Logs 8.45 Percent Growth During Decade

U.S. Census figures for 2010 released on Thursday counted an additional 2,077 residents in Bernards Township over a decade's time, an increase of about 8.45 percent more people between 2000 and 2010.

"The census data doesn't surprise me at all," Mayor John Malay said of U.S. Census Bureau figures setting the township's population at 26,652 for 2010, up from 24,575 in 2000.

Malay said township officials actually had estimated Bernards' population at about 27,000, based on housing starts and other data during previous years.

However, Malay said that based on current zoning, the township is approaching "build-out," meaning that all property zoned for residential use would have been developed.

"Hopefully, we are going from development mode into maintenance mode," Malay said. "It's a more stable situation."

A slowdown in growth would mean the township could take a breather from breathing or expanding schools or the library, or adding more roads, Malay said.

"It's only up to whether the current zoning will be maintained — I certainly hope it will," the mayor said.

Malay said the wild card in planning future growth in the township will be whether the state's Council on Affordable Housing requires a change in that zoning. At this time, the township has a state-certified affordable housing plan through 2018 that would not create an appreciable population increase.

Part of the plan involves refurbishing existing housing or converting homes into affordable housing units, he said.
 
"The last 20 years, we have seen a lot of growth," Malay said. "That certainly has slowed down the last few years."

Much of the housing in the township was built in the 1980s, or back in the 1970s, he said.

However, Malay noted that much of the township's increase in residents counted as Asian came from growth in The Hills section. During a 10-year period, the township's Asian population increased from 1,928 to 3,679.

"It's a testament to the qualify of life that people want to move here," including the quality of the public school system, Malay said.

Growth in Bernards Township was not far off the mark for the overall 8.7 percent increaseThe county's population grew by almost 26,000 residents, from 297,490 to 323,444, between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.