Community group urges aggressive use of abandoned-properties law; expresses support for motel ordinance

Elizabeth Taranick, representing the Chelsea neighborhood community development corporation, urged the Atlantic City Council to use existing laws and fees to address vacant and blighted properties that she said burden taxpayers and neighborhoods. Taranick told the council Chelsea has about 103 vacant properties and cited examples of owners who hold multiple properties, including one limited-liability company she said owns 31 vacant parcels. “Taxpayers are paying the cost to maintain these properties,” she said, listing extra demands on police, code enforcement, public works and fire services. She recommended the city use the Abandoned Properties Act, pursue foreclosure where owners do not pay taxes, and apply a $500 vacant-property fee that is already on the books. Taranick also said area community organizations have begun meeting with some absentee owners to explain the city process and asked the council to continue enforcing the city’s abandoned-properties tools. She told council members she supports a motel ordinance on the meeting agenda intended to regulate certain motel operations. Why it matters: Taranick framed blight as a local fiscal and safety issue: delinquent taxes increase the burden on other taxpayers and vacant lots and buildings can attract crime, trash and fires, she said. She asked the council to use the full range of enforcement options contained in local law and applicable state processes. Questions and clarifications: Council members asked how the city determines a property qualifies as abandoned. Taranick and city staff said a property must meet a vacancy period (discussed as six months) and at least one other criterion, such as repeated code calls, open windows or persistent dumping, before it is placed on an abandoned-properties list. City staff said tax-assessor values shown on the city’s abandoned list come from the tax assessor’s office. What the council did: No formal council action was taken during the presentation. Taranick’s remarks were part of the public comment/presentation segment that preceded ordinance and resolution votes. Council members acknowledged the request and asked staff follow-up questions; city staff said enforcement and remedies are available and that the city has shared options with owners in some cases.