Manville Community Asset Mapping June-August 2017
This report was prepared by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the Manville Green Team. Please contact the following individuals with any questions:
Andrea Bierwirth, Manville Borough Administrator, at [email protected]
Nanette Peterson, Director of the Manville Library, at [email protected]
Elizabeth Schuster, Environmental Economist with The Nature Conservancy, at [email protected]
Overview of Manville The Borough of Manville is located in Somerset County, within the Raritan River Watershed. Manville is characterized by a history of industrialization, an active Main Street, a love of sports and recreation, with a small-town feeling with an engaged citizenry. Manville’s location among three rivers – the Raritan River, Millstone River, and Royce Brook – has exacerbated issues of flooding, particularly since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. To date, 108 homes have been “bought out” through the State Blue Acres program, where structures are removed and returned to open space.
Despite recent challenges around flooding, Manville has many assets, with a walkable Main Street, thriving local businesses, several parks, churches, community organizations, and a good amount of open space. This positions the community strongly for attracting new visitors, businesses and jobs. We can leverage the borough’s many existing assets as we pursue a vision for a healthy, more sustainable future.
The assets identified in this document were identified by the community as important assets for Manville’s future, though this document does not include all of Manville’s assets. This list is a starting point and can be expanded in the future with annual updates and additional maps (e.g. an interactive tourism map for visitors to Manville). When planning future projects, refer to the physical, natural, economic and human assets in this document as these assets can be leveraged as resources when writing grants and designing projects. Building off existing assets can be a more cost-effective approach to planning and community development, and can increase project success through establishment of new partnerships.
For a quick snapshot of common statistics on the demographics of Manville and Somerset County, refer to the following table:
Manville Somerset County Population 10,430 333,751 Land area 2.36 square miles 301.8 square miles High school graduate or higher, 88.7% 94.2% percent of persons age 25 years+ Bachelor's degree or higher, 13.5% 52.5% percent of persons age 25 years+ Median household income, $64,514 $100,667 2011-2015 Per capita income $28,108 $48,791 Data in table from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/
Description of Community Asset Mapping Activity Manville’s Green Team was formed during a kickoff meeting at Duke Farms on April 8, 2017. The first Sustainable Jersey action that the Green Team pursued was Community Asset Mapping. Asset Mapping is a common participatory process used in community planning that allows local decision makers and residents to focus on what’s positive about a community as a base for development. Manville’s Green Team used focus groups to gather data for the Asset Maps, filling in the gaps with interviews and a desktop analysis. A total of 80 Manville residents and decision makers participated in the focus group meetings hosted by the Manville Public Library, at the following times:
- Wednesday, June 28, 11:30am - Friday, July 14, 6:00pm - Tuesday, July 25, 11:30am - Tuesday, July 25, 6:00pm - Thursday, July 27, 11:30am - Thursday, July 27, 6:00pm
Photos: Left, Focus group participants at the Economic Assets station © The Nature Conservancy; Right, Participants of all ages were welcome (Physical Assets station) © The Nature Conservancy
Community feedback was grouped into categories, and the following deliverables are included in this report:
1) Economic Assets: Economic asset mapping was divided into two components, a. Best of Manville: Economic Assets were defined as recommendations on hotels and places to eat, drink, and shop. Results from the focus groups were tallied and resulted in a top 10 list. b. Economic gaps: To complement the list of economic assets, we also asked participants: which store or type of store do you most often find yourself leaving Manville to shop at, and would like to see located in Manville?
2) Physical assets: Physical assets were divided into two categories: a. Buildings and facilities b. Culture and active recreation
3) Community Assets: Community assets are groups working in Manville or in the region that could be potential partners on future Green Team projects, and are listed in the form of a directory.
4) Natural assets: Natural assets are defined as open space in Manville that are a current park, has the potential to be a future park, or has the potential to be enhanced through rain gardens or other types of green infrastructure to absorb more rainwater.
Best of Manville Top 10 Restaurants and Stores
Voted by Manville residents in 2017 focus groups; refer to attachment for full list of addresses
LJ's Drewby's Grill Pub
Grub Hut Unique BBQ & Mexican Grill Foccacia Pizza & Pasta Manville Pizza & Restaurant Manville Diner Frank's Pizza Reading Cinemas Manville Manville Pastry Shop Nittoli's Deli & Catering Best of Manville: Top 10 Restaurants and Stores Directory of restaurants and stores voted by Manville residents in focus group meetings, Jun/Jul 2017
1. LJ’s 304 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 231-7474 Type of restaurant or store: Ice cream and frozen yogurt
2. Drewby’s Grill Pub 16 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 685-7125 Type of restaurant or store: Food, drink, and catering
3. Grub Hunt Unique BBQ & Mexican Grill 307 N Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 203-8003 Type of restaurant or store: Tiny BYOB joint offering big portions of BBQ ribs & interesting Mexican dishes
4. Foccacia Pizza & Pasta 930 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 725-5522 Type of restaurant or store: A mix of options that include thin crust pizza in an authentic Italian wood-burning oven; homemade pasta, veal, chicken or seafood dishes
5. Manville Pizza & Restaurant 31 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 526-1194 Type of restaurant or store: Authentic Italian cuisine and catering
6. Manville Diner 50 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 685-0930 Type of restaurant or store: A family style restaurant with great portions and a mix of food including salads, burgers and breakfast
7. Frank’s Pizza 140 N Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 685-7717 Type of restaurant or store: Family-friendly restaurant offering pizza & other Italian staples, plus catering options 8. Reading Cinemas Manville 180 N Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 707-4373 Type of restaurant or store: movie theater; multiplex
9. Manville Pastry Shop 335 N Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 725-2288 Type of restaurant or store: Fresh breads, cakes, and pastries
10. Nittoli’s Deli & Catering 111 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (732) 354-4200 Type of restaurant or store: Sandwiches, subs, burgers, salads, and catering ECONOMIC ASSETS - GAPS
Participants in the focus groups were asked the following question: Which store or type of store do you most often find yourself leaving Manville to shop at, and would like to see located in Manville? The results were as follows, in order from most frequent to least frequent.
1. Grocery: the most frequent gap noted was a grocery store. Many participants noted specific chains such as Shop Rite, and some also mentioned specific types of specialty foods like a butcher, fish market or organic foods store.
2. Retail: various types of retail stores were mentioned. Responses ranged from clothing stores to shoes to gifts or hobby stores, among others.
3. Restaurants: while some specific restaurant chains were mentioned, coffee shops and other specialized places like a bagel shop or candy store were also noted.
4. Entertainment: several gaps fell into the general category of entertainment. Suggestions included an arcade, recreation center or community center that includes a coffee shop, and several activities targeting children (e.g. splash park)
5. Outdoor retail: several gaps also fell into the outdoor retail category, such as sporting goods, a bike shop, tackle/bait shop or a running store.
6. Auto: auto is a broad category that included a request for more gas stations in Manville as well as an auto repair center.
7. Home improvement/hardware: many participants mentioned Lowes, Home Depot or Ace Hardware.
Manville physical assets
Buildings and facilities; refer to attachment for full list of addresses
Manville Public Library
Manville Borough Municipal Building Manville High School
Alexander Batcho Intermediate School Roosevelt School Weston Elementary School Christ the King School VFW Post 2290 American Legion Manville Fire Company #1
Camplain Volunteer Fire Company #2
North End Volunteer Fire Company #3
The Manville Police Department United States Postal Service Manville Physical Assets: Buildings and Facilities
Address list and other general information 1. SCLSNJ's Manville Library Branch 100 S 10th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.somerset.lib.nj.us/manville.htm 908-722-9722 Hours: Mon - Thurs: 9:30a - 9p Fri & Sat: 9:30a - 5p
2. Manville Borough Municipal Building 325 N Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillenj.org/ 908-725-9478 Hours: Monday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3. Manville High School 410 Brooks Blvd, Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/ (908) 231-8500
4. Alexander Batcho Intermediate School 100 N 13th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/Domain/8 (908) 231-8521
5. Roosevelt School 410 Brooks Blvd., Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/Domain/10 (908) 231-8500
6. Weston Elementary School 600 Newark Ave., Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/Domain/11 (908) 231-8500
7. Christ the King School 99 N 13th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.ctkmanville.com/ (908) 526-1339 8. VFW Post 2290 600 Washington Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.vfw2290.org/ (908) 725-2290 Facility rental: Their Veterans Memorial Hall is a 7200 Square Foot wood floored facility which can accommodate 400 people (based on Fire Code allowances).
9. American Legion 429 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 429-0304
10. Manville Fire Company #1 20 S 3rd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillefireco1.com/ (908) 707-9877 Facility rental: The hall at Fire Company # 1 is approximately 40 by 60 feet and can seat up to 100 people. Hall rentals include access to a complete kitchen (stove, oven, sink, etc.) an ice machine and male/female restrooms. Renters also have the choice of using round and or rectangle tables accommodated with the appropriate number of chairs required.
11. Camplain Volunteer Fire Company #2 13 S 13th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillefd.com/ (908) 526-0439
12. North End Volunteer Fire Company #3 169 N 8th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillefd.com/ (908) 526-0403 Facility rental: The hall at North End Vol. Fire Company # 3 is approximately 36 by 66 feet and can seat up to 140 people. They have a complete kitchen (stove, oven, sink, etc.), bar area, and an ice machine available dependent on your needs. The Ladies Auxiliary is available for catering. For more information please call Angie at 908-526-0403.
13. Manville Police Department 2 North Main Street, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillepd.org/ (908) 725-1900
14. United States Postal Service 101 Brooks Blvd, Manville, NJ 08835 (800) 275-8777 Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am - 5:00pm Sat 10:00am - 2:00pm Manville physical assets
Culture and active recreation; refer to attachment for full list of addresses
Dukes Park at Manville
Manville High School Sports Complex Cooper Park Memorial Park Haran Ave. Park Lincoln Ave Park Papawick Park Sacred Heart RC Church Christ the King Church Emmanuel Baptist Church Manville Reformed Church Faith in Action Church Holy Ghost Orthodox Church
Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church Power of the Gospel Manville Physical Assets: Cultural and Active Recreation
Address list and other general information 1. Dukes Park at Manville Dukes Parkway East and N. 3rd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835
2. Manville High School Sports Complex 410 Brooks Blvd, Manville, NJ 08835 Activities: Football field, baseball fields, track
3. Cooper Park Boesel Avenue and Cooper Street, Manville, NJ 08835 Activities: 1 adult pool, 1 playground
4. Memorial Park Colorado Avenue off Roosevelt Avenue, Manville, NJ 08835 Activities: 1 adult pool, 1 kiddie pool, 1 basketball court, 1 playground
5. Haran Ave. Park Haran Ave, between S. Greasheimer St. and Driscoll St. in Manville, NJ 08835 Activities: 1 basketball court, 1 playground, four square
6. Lincoln Avenue Park Lincoln Ave and View St, Manville, NJ 08835 Activities: 3 Softball/baseball fields, 4 T-ball fields, 1 Basketball court, 1 playground
7. Papawick Park Persinko St and Sidorske Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 Activities: 2 Soccer fields, 1 Basketball Court, 1 playground
8. Sacred Heart RC Church 98 S 2nd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://sacred-heart-church.org (908) 725-0072
9. Christ the King Church 211 Louis St, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.ctrmanville.com/ (908) 725-0072
10. Emmanuel Baptist Church 34 S 3rd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://emmanuel-baptist-church.com/ (908) 725-4522 11. Manville Reformed Church S 5th Ave & Pope St, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillereformed.org/ (908) 725-6774
12. Faith in Action Church Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 252-1617
13. Holy Ghost Orthodox Church 258 S 6th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 722-1561
14. Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church 605 Washington Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://ssppoc.org/ (908) 685-1452
15. Power of the Gospel 600 Washington Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 927-0505
COMMUNITY ASSETS Community organizations, agencies and voluntary associations in or near Manville, NJ Overview The organizations listed in this documents are groups that that may be a resource for Sustainable Manville, and/or that may be available to partner on projects with Sustainable Manville. The names in this document were generated through a series of six focus group meetings as part of Community Asset Mapping that took place in Manville during June and July 2017. A total of 80 people participants in the focus groups.
To make updates to this list, please contact Nan Peterson, Director of the Manville Library, at [email protected].
Arts and Culture #ManvilleRocks Manville Rocks is an informal, grassroots movement encouraging residents of all ages to paint their own rocks, hide them and search for others in town. https://patch.com/new-jersey/manville/newest-treasure-hunt-trend-painting-rocks-has-rolled-manville
Joe Patero Joe Patero is a long-term resident of Manville and an expert on the history of Manville. Joe can be reached by email at [email protected]
Manville Arts Council 312 Clinton Avenue Manville, NJ 08835 https://manvillearts.org/ Contact Heather Ball, President, at [email protected]
Manville Music Organization Manville Music Organization supports the Manville High School music program in Manville, NJ. PO Box 274 Manville, NJ 08835 Email: [email protected]
Somerset County Historical Society The headquarters of the Historical Society is located at the Van Veghten House; they also have a library which is open to the public every Tuesday, noon to 3:00 PM, and the second Saturday of each month, throughout the year, noon to 3:00 PM. 9 Van Veghten Dr, Bridgewater, NJ 08807 http://www.schsnj.com/libraryPublications.htm
Businesses Manville Diner 50 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 685-0930 Contact Eve Kontos, Owner, at [email protected]
Civic groups and associations American Legion Post #304 429 main St, Manville, New Jersey 08835 http://legion.org/ (908) 429-0304
Boy scouts/girl scouts Boy Scouts of Manville are Troop 193, affiliated with VFW Post 2290. Contact Kirk Weber at (908) 635- 1715 or by email at [email protected]. The contact person for the Girl Scouts is Mary Ellen Day. Her e-mail address is [email protected]. She assists Girl Scout Troops of various age groups all within Manville.
Manville Community day Community Day is held in Manville each September at the ball fields in the park along Lincoln Avenue. It includes many community organizations, food, games, and live music.
Manville-Hillsborough Elks 1500 Brooks Blvd, Hillsborough, NJ http://www.manvillehillsboroughelks.org/ (908) 725-1717
Knights of Columbus 98 S 2nd Ave Manville, New Jersey, NJ 08835
Manville Public Library 100 S 10th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 722-9722 Contact Nan Peterson, Director, at [email protected]
Manville Youth Services http://www.manvillenj.org/458/Manville-Youth-Services-Commission Ron Cefalone, Director of Manville Recreation, at [email protected]
Senior Citizen Club
The Manville Seniors are a 200+ members strong social club whose purpose is to promote civic, recreational, and cultural activities that enhance the lives of seniors in Manville, NJ. The club meets at noon on the 2nd Thursday of each month at the VFW on Washington Ave. http://www.manvillenj.org/450/Manville-Seniors
VFW Post #2290 600 Washington Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.vfw2290.org/ (908) 725-2290 Auxilliary of the VFW Post 2290 is also located at 600 Washington Ave; please call the post with questions at (908) 725-2290. Facility rental: Their Veterans Memorial Hall is a 7200 Square Foot wood floored facility which can accommodate 400 people (based on Fire Code allowances).
Education The Teachers, Staff and Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) of the following schools can be resources:
Manville High School 410 Brooks Blvd, Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/ (908) 231-8500
Alexander Batcho Intermediate School 100 N 13th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/Domain/8 (908) 231-8521
Roosevelt School 410 Brooks Blvd., Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/Domain/10 (908) 231-8500
Weston Elementary School 600 Newark Ave., Manville, NJ 08835 https://www.manvilleschools.org/Domain/11 (908) 231-8500
Christ the King School 99 N 13th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.ctkmanville.com/ (908) 526-1339
Environmental and Conservation Environmental Clubs at School ABIS Environmental Club Advisors Anabela Bentzinger - [email protected] Lauren Kurzius - [email protected] Weston Earth Watchers Advisor Diana Gallagher - [email protected]
Duke Farms 1112 Dukes Parkway West Hillsborough, NJ 08844 http://dukefarms.org/ (908) 722-3700 Contact Michael Catania, Executive Director, at [email protected]
The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey 200 Pottersville Road Chester, NJ 07930 https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/newjersey/index.htm Phone: (908) 879-7262 Contact Elizabeth Schuster, Environmental Economist, at [email protected]
NY/ NJ Baykeeper 52 West Front Street Keyport, NJ 07735 http://nynjbaykeeper.org/ (732) 888-9870 Contact Bill Schultz, Raritan Riverkeeper, at [email protected]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris and Somerset Counties Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station P.O. Box 900 Morristown, NJ 07963-0900 Phone: 973-285-8303 Contact Pat Rector, County Agent, at [email protected]
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program www.water.rutgers.edu Contact Dr. Chris Obropta at [email protected]
Sustainable Jersey The municipal hub coordinator for Somerset County is Tara Kenyon, Principal Planner/Administrator – SCADB, at [email protected] The Program Director for Community Engagement at Sustainable Jersey is Lauren Skowronski at [email protected]
Sustainable Raritan River Initiative Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy http://raritan.rutgers.edu/ (848) 932-2720 Contact Sara Malone, Facilitator, Sustainable Raritan River Initiative at [email protected]
Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership http://lowerraritanwatershed.org/ Contact Heather Fenyk, founder and executive director, at [email protected]
Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association 31 Titus Mill Road Pennington, NJ 08534 https://thewatershed.org/ Contact Jim Waltman, executive director, at [email protected]
Raritan Valley Community College 118 Lamington Rd, Branchburg, NJ 08876 Contact Dr. Emilie Stander, Professor of Ecology, at [email protected] or Dr. Jay Kelly, Professor of Biology, at [email protected]
Financial Manville Federal Credit Union 43 S Main St, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 526-8844
Health and Nutrition Food Bank Network of Somerset (Food can be dropped at the Manville Public Library and all food goes to this location) 9 Easy St, Bound Brook, NJ 08805 Phone: (732) 560-1813
Municipal Alliance The Municipal Alliance Committee (MAC) was appointed to identify alcoholism and drug prevention and education needs in the community. Membership includes representatives of schools, courts, law enforcement, religious and social service organizations, parents, businesses, recovering persons, and concerned citizens. http://www.manvillenj.org/456/Municipal-Alliance
Municipal/County Department of Public Works 10 Gladys Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 Contact Vince LoMedico, Public Works Director, at [email protected]
Shade Tree Commission Contact Jack Kuhlman, at [email protected]
Somerset County Planning Walter Lane, Director of Planning, at [email protected] Tara Kenyon, Principal Planner/Administrator – SCADB, at [email protected]>
Recreation Manville Borough Recreation Department http://www.manvillenj.org/308/Recreation-Department Contact Ron Cefalone, Recreation Director at 908-725-9478, ext. 121 or [email protected]; or contact Jean Weber, Deputy Director/Sports Coordinator at 908-725-9478 ext. 126 or [email protected]
Manville Youth Athletic League (MYAL) P.O. Box 114, Manville, NJ 08835 Leaguelineup.com/Manvilleyouthathleticleague Contact John Bentz, President, at (908) 966-1613 or refer to Staff/Contact on website with more contact information.
Religious and Spiritual Sacred Heart RC Church 98 S 2nd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://sacred-heart-church.org (908) 725-0072
Christ the King Church 211 Louis St, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.ctrmanville.com/ (908) 725-0072
Emmanuel Baptist Church 34 S 3rd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://emmanuel-baptist-church.com/ (908) 725-4522
Manville Reformed Church S 5th Ave & Pope St, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillereformed.org/ (908) 725-6774
Faith in Action Church Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 252-1617
Holy Ghost Orthodox Church 258 S 6th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 722-1561
Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church 605 Washington Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://ssppoc.org/ (908) 685-1452
Power of the Gospel 600 Washington Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 (908) 927-0505 Safety Manville Fire Company #1 20 S 3rd Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillefireco1.com/ (908) 707-9877 Facility rental: The hall at Fire Company # 1 is approximately 40 by 60 feet and can seat up to 100 people. Hall rentals include access to a complete kitchen (stove, oven, sink, etc.) an ice machine and male/female restrooms. Renters also have the choice of using round and or rectangle tables accommodated with the appropriate number of chairs required.
Camplain Volunteer Fire Company #2 13 S 13th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillefd.com/ (908) 526-0439
North End Volunteer Fire Company #3 169 N 8th Ave, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillefd.com/ (908) 526-0403 Facility rental: The hall at North End Vol. Fire Company # 3 is approximately 36 by 66 feet and can seat up to 140 people. They have a complete kitchen (stove, oven, sink, etc.), bar area, and an ice machine available dependent on your needs. The Ladies Auxiliary is available for catering. For more information please call Angie at 908-526-0403.
Manville Police Department 2 North Main Street, Manville, NJ 08835 http://www.manvillepd.org/ (908) 725-1900
Manville First Aid and Rescue Squad 2 South 3rd Avenue Manville, NJ 08835 http://manvillerescuesquad.org/ Non-Emergency: 908-725-0903
Manville's Natural Assets
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