Council approves dozens of small property sales amid council requests for written policy; some members abstain

Trenton City Council approved a series of ordinances on June 17 authorizing the sale of multiple city-owned parcels and a handful of acquisitions, while several council members repeatedly urged the administration to finalize a written policy setting consistent pricing, minimums and documentation for sales of city-owned property.

Council discussion focused on transparency and comparability of listed prices, recent GIS or tax assessments attached to docket packets, and how offers are solicited and evaluated. Councilwoman Figueroa Kettenberg and Councilwoman Feliciano said they will abstain from votes on property ordinances until a clear, written process and checklist are finalized; Chief of Staff Jim Beach and Business Administrator Maria Richardson said the administration is drafting a policy that would include presumptive pricing and procedures for evaluating offers and documenting that no other interested buyers were available at the time an application was approved.

Chief of Staff Jim Beach told council that the administration maintains a list of city-owned properties on the city website and that staff now review applicants’ ability to redevelop and their financial solvency before recommending sales. Beach and other administration staff said many properties are blighted or structurally dilapidated, that the primary objective for many sales is to return parcels to the tax rolls and to encourage rehabilitation, and that sales prices frequently reflect condition, neighborhood context and the city’s redevelopment priorities. The administration circulated a draft policy (described in the meeting as a draft to be shared with council) that, according to staff, includes presumptive pricing — for example, a presumptive price for an empty lot at $1,000 and a presumptive price for a residential structure of $2,500 — and other criteria to guide offers.

Several applicants and public commenters spoke in favor of purchases. Walter Mason asked the council to approve sale of Tyrell Avenue parcels he has sought for years to protect his property. Council members also discussed a separate acquisition pair (218 and 222 Bruning Avenue) the city will buy for demolition and stabilization to avoid repeated emergency demolitions on adjacent properties.

Council votes: the council passed a package including dozens of sale ordinances (examples below). Several council members abstained on multiple sale ordinances while the administration and staff committed to provide the draft written process before many second-reading votes return to council. Council President Gonzales and several members said they favor moving properties to responsible owners to reduce blight and begin rehabilitation.

Votes at a glance (selected ordinances from June 17 session) - Ordinance 25-22 — Sale: 35 Damon Street (Block 11003, Lot 50) to Aeneid Cunningham, $2,500 — outcome: approved (motion carried) - Ordinance 25-23 — Sale: Lipton Avenue (Block 34005, Lot 6) to David W. Bosted, $2,500 — approved - Ordinance 25-31 — Sale: 141–147 W. Ingham Ave (Block 6804, Lot 13) to Ulucci Global Investments LLC, $30,000 — approved (Councilwoman Feliciano and Councilwoman Figueroa Kettenberg recorded as abstain on this vote) - Ordinance 25-33 — Sale: 46–50 Tyrell Avenue (Block 1803, Lots 19–18–17) to Tyrrell Street Redevelopment LLC, $15,000 — approved (one public comment in support from property owner Walter Mason) - Ordinance 25-51 — Sale: multiple parcels (Block 2303 Lot 20; Block 4601 Lots 8, 45–41, 39) to SM Trenton Redevelopment LLC, $100,000 — approved - Ordinance 25-52 — Sale: 21 N. Holden Ave (Block 26003, Lot 16) to Joyce Maria Lanez Reyes, $25,000 — approved (two council members abstained) - Ordinance 25-55 — Sale: 61 Anderson Street (Block 14705, Lot 44) to JYU, $150,000 — approved - Ordinance 25-59 — Sale: 447 Parkway Avenue (Block 35002, Lot 4) to Joshua L. Baker, $2,500 — approved (Council President Gonzales recused) - Ordinance 25-61 — Sale: multiple parcels (including 942 S. Clinton Ave and others) to Sababu Development LLC, $120,000 — approved (one or more abstentions recorded) - Ordinance 25-65 & 25-66 — Acquisition: 218 and 222 Bruning Ave; city to acquire for demolition/stabilization, $110,000 each — approved

Council members pressed for consistent documentation to accompany future dockets: current packets often included GIS-derived assessments that are not dated, or missing assessor reports; the council asked for a standard checklist and clarified timelines to show whether there were competing offers when sales are approved. Several council members said the administration should continue prioritizing resident purchasers and owner-occupants while ensuring buyers have the financial capacity to redevelop.

Chief of Staff Jim Beach said the administration will share the draft policy with council and noted that the city’s main objective is returning parcels to productive use rather than maximizing sale proceeds. Business Administrator Maria Richardson described acquisitions as a cost-avoidance tool in particular cases: the city will buy and demolish small lots when the combined cost of repeated emergency work would exceed the acquisition-demolition route.

The council approved the resolutions and ordinances listed on the agenda after discussion and multiple roll-call votes; the administration said it will circulate the draft property-sales policy and additional documentation for council review before the next set of property ordinances returns for second reading.