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Community advocates press city to use Abandoned Properties Act and enforcement tools to address vacant and blighted parcels in Chelsea
Summary
A Chelsea-area community representative urged Atlantic City officials to more aggressively use the Abandoned Properties Act, a $500 vacant property fee and tax foreclosure to address more than 100 vacant properties in the Chelsea district and reduce neighborhood blight.
At the Sept. 17 Atlantic City Council meeting, a community organizer returned to urge stronger enforcement of the city’s abandoned properties tools, saying local neighborhoods continue to bear costs tied to vacant and blighted parcels.
Elizabeth Taranick, speaking on behalf of neighborhood organizers involved with the Chelsea planning area, told council that “taxpayers are paying the cost to maintain these properties” and said abandoned and vacant buildings attract crime, lower surrounding property values and require city services. She urged enforcement of the Abandoned Properties Act and other local remedies.
Why it matters: Taranick said the problem is concentrated in Chelsea — she reported about 103 vacant properties in her area — and that owners often live outside the city and control multiple parcels. She argued that using…
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