Cranford Vacant Building With Loose Bricks Near Sidewalk Moves Closer To Redevelopment

CRANFORD, NJ — A long-vacant Cranford industrial building with safety problems inside and around the property could soon have a new future.

The Cranford Planning Board voted unanimously on July 15 to recommend moving forward with redevelopment plans for the former E.F. Britton manufacturing site at 24 South Avenue West.

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The decision comes after officials reviewed the condition of the property, including concerns about loose bricks along the front of the building that could fall onto a public sidewalk and a large pile of debris behind the building near NJ Transit’s Raritan Valley Line.

The recommendation would allow the township to begin planning for the future of the site. It does not mean Cranford would take ownership of the property.

Instead, officials said the designation would allow the township to create a redevelopment plan and potentially work with a private developer to bring a new project to the site.

The roughly three-quarter-acre property has been vacant since E.F. Britton left the building in 2021. Since then, the township said the site has accumulated several violations involving the condition of the building and property.

Nicholas Dickerson, a professional planner with Colliers Engineering and Design, presented a report on the site during the July 15 meeting.

Dickerson told the board that inspectors were not able to safely enter the building and instead evaluated the property from the outside.

Photos shown during the meeting highlighted deteriorating brickwork along the front of the building.

"You could see these bricks that seem to be separating from the front facade," Dickerson said. "One thing that's really alarming is the fact that this building is right up against the sidewalk, so you have to walk underneath those bricks."

Board member Stephen Dunn, who works as a structural collapse specialist, said the condition of the building’s exterior was a serious issue.

"I happen to be a structural collapse specialist, my full-time job," Dunn said. "So, if and when that facade falls, hopefully, it isn't on anyone walking there."

Dunn said he would advise his children not to walk along that side of South Avenue.

Officials also discussed a large pile of debris behind the building that has accumulated over time.

Dunn described the pile as a potential fire danger, particularly because of its location near the train tracks.

"I want to attest to the fact of a giant pile of garbage as a huge fire hazard," Dunn said.

Dickerson said the fire department had identified the debris as a significant combustible hazard.

"A fire at this location creates a hazard not only for people on the site, but then also the entire Raritan Valley Line," Dickerson said.

The meeting also included discussion about the condition of the inside of the vacant building.

Officials said the property has not remained completely secured, and people have entered the building without permission. Dickerson said photos posted online showed debris, abandoned equipment and other materials inside.

"Every time it rains, every time it snows, every time we have a deep freeze, things are getting in and things are staying in there," Dickerson said.

Other issues discussed included standing water on the property, which officials said could contribute to mosquito problems, as well as vehicles and equipment being stored there without authorization.

The redevelopment recommendation is known as a "non-condemnation" designation, which means the township cannot force the owner to sell the property.

Cranford Board Attorney Jonathan Drill explained that the designation is a way for municipalities to encourage redevelopment without taking ownership of private property.

"A property owner whose property is being considered as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment might view this as a really good thing," Drill said. "Presumably, it increases the market value of the property, and it encourages the redevelopment."

Drill said the designation gives the township the ability to create a redevelopment plan and work toward finding a future use for the site.

The property is located within Cranford’s designated transit village area and is about a seven-minute walk from the Cranford train station. Officials said future redevelopment could also help the township meet state requirements for affordable housing.

Dunn said he was frustrated that the board could not immediately require repairs to the building but supported moving ahead with the redevelopment process.

"It's very frustrating to sit here and see a wall on the precipice of possibly collapsing, that we can't do anything right away," Dunn said. "But thank you for the work that we've done already on the township level, and this obviously is in need of redevelopment. I'm happy to support it."

The recommendation will now go to the Cranford Township Committee, which will decide whether to formally move forward with the redevelopment process.