Cranford adopts ordinance to auction small township land parcels to adjacent owners

The Township Committee voted to adopt Ordinance 2025‑09, authorizing the public sale of small township-owned slivers of land to contiguous property owners under NJSA 40A:12‑13(b)(5).

The ordinance covers parcels that resulted from historical lot-line irregularities and are too small to support new residential structures, officials said. "We whittled down a list of, I mean, literally, we had dozens of properties we looked at. I think we settled on...9 for this first round," the mayor said.

Why it matters: Officials said the sales remove maintenance liabilities from the township and allow adjacent homeowners who already use or maintain the strips to consolidate and perfect lot titles. Township counsel and staff said properties offered for sale may vary in size—"from about 200 square feet up to, over 5,000"—but that none would be large enough to permit new, separate residences under current zoning.

Process and limits: The auction is restricted to owners of contiguous parcels; buyers must merge purchased slivers with their lots so they cannot later be split into separate buildable parcels without major zoning changes. The ordinance includes a Schedule A listing the specific properties to be offered in this initial round; contiguous owners will receive direct notice if the ordinance is adopted.

Action taken: The committee opened a public hearing, heard questions about parcel sizes and potential development, and then moved for adoption. A roll call vote recorded "yes" from Commissioner Black, Commissioner Andrews, Commissioner Miller Prunty, Deputy Mayor Gallo and Mayor Terrence Curran.

Next steps: Notice of the ordinance adoption will be placed in the Westfield Leader; the township staff will notify contiguous owners and proceed with the public-sale process as provided by statute.