Heroic rescues during a fire, multimillion-dollar capital projects, affordable housing for veterans, and campaign-season debates over taxes and township spending marked Tuesday’s meeting of the Woodbridge Township Council.
Town officials praised Woodbridge police officers who ran into a burning building on St. George Avenue in Avenel early Saturday morning to save trapped residents.
Reading from the Fire Department’s report, Council President Cory Spillar, who is also a fire official, said the blaze was reported around 2:55 a.m. on Oct. 4 at 1256 St. George Avenue, next to McDonald’s. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames blowing through the roof of the mixed-use building, which contained apartments above several storefronts.
According to Spillar, Woodbridge Police Department officers were the first to arrive and immediately began rescuing residents trapped on the second floor.
“God bless all involved, and please keep the residents and business owners in your thoughts and prayers,” he said.
Approximately ten residents lost everything, he said. Five businesses on the first floor are closed indefinitely after suffering water and smoke damage.
Spillar urged residents to support the displaced families through the Woodbridge Township Community Fund and thanked all the first responders who assisted at the scene
“When you roll up at three o’clock in the morning, and you know everybody is sleeping, because everybody’s sleeping at three o’clock in the morning, and it is blowing out every opening of the second floor through the roof, and there are people trapped, and Woodbridge police officers are running out without disregard to anything and going into the belly of the beast. Please extend our absolute thank you and words of encouragement to all the officers..
“When you roll up at three o’clock in the morning…and it’s blowing out every opening of the second floor, through the roof, and there are people trapped, and Woodbridge police officers are running out without disregard to anything and going into the belly of the beast,” Spillar said, “please extend our absolute thank you and words of encouragement to all the officers.”
Major Ordinances and Development
The council approved three major capital ordinances totaling more than $11 million in public projects:
• $4 million in federal funds for the Woodbridge Waterfront Walkway Project in Sewaren
• $4 million in state funds for Sewaren Marina improvements
• $3.5 million in bond financing to acquire property on Berry Street that could house a future Municipal Court and township offices.
Mayor John McCormac said the current court’s ground-floor location inside Town Hall is “an awkward place for a court,” saying the new site would allow greater security and efficiency once the purchase is finalized.
Affordable Housing for Veterans
Council members also approved Resolution 23, granting a waiver of state community-benefit requirements for a 60-unit affordable veterans housing project in Avenel.
Noah Freiberg, a senior developer with Pennrose, said the housing will be reserved for veterans earning between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income and built with the help of Aspire state tax credits. The project will partner with the nonprofit group Soldier On to provide case management, wellness programs, and job resources.
Freiberg said construction is expected to begin within 45 to 60 days, with applications opening in late 2026 or early 2027. Council President Spillar called the project “100 percent for our veterans.” He added there’s “no better place than Woodbridge, best town around to try to help them.”
Public Comments and Political Sparks
The public comment portion turned contentious as two Republican candidates for town council, Ken Gardner and Bruce Banko, used the microphone to raise campaign issues.
Gardner, who is running against Councilwoman Debbie Meehan in the 5th Ward, questioned the township’s property tax levels and asked why two council members abstained from voting on the township’s bill list. His remarks prompted a sharp back-and-forth with Council President Cory Spillar, who defended the abstentions as standard practice to avoid conflicts of interest.
Gardner also referenced Councilwoman Sharon McAuliffe, who was criticized by her Republican opponent for motioning votes on spending items involving her business. McAuliffe addressed the concern at the Sept. 23 council meeting, explaining that as council vice president, she routinely motioned items to the table for a vote, which was standard procedure at the time. The township attorney backed her explanation, noting that a review found no wrongdoing.
At the Oct. 7 meeting, Spillar pointed out that different council members were now making motions to avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
“I’m happy you followed my advice,” Gardner said.
“It was not your advice,” Spillar shot back.
Later, Banko, who is challenging Spillar, questioned the council’s salary process and suggested the five-minute public-comment limit was too short. Spillar disputed his claims, and Mayor McCormac stepped in with a lengthy rebuttal, defending PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) programs as key to stabilizing property taxes.
The mayor said $28 million in PILOT revenue last year offset tax increases and funded new school construction. “You can’t be against PILOTs and against property taxes,” McCormac said, arguing the revenue has financed recent school expansions and technology upgrades without raising rates.
Announcements and Community Updates
Council members shared a slate of fall programs and reminders:
• Fire Prevention Open Houses in Avenel (Oct. 11) and Hopelawn (Oct. 13).
• Barron Arts Fest and Fishing Derby, both on Oct. 11.
• Colonia Breast Cancer Walk on Oct. 12, supporting three families battling cancer.
• Trunk-or-Treat on Main Street (Oct. 23) hosted by the Police Department.
• A new Halloween Decorating Contest for residents, with entries due Nov. 1.
• Property-tax-relief applications for the state’s Senior Freeze, Anchor, and Stay NJ programs are due Oct. 31.
• PSE&G customers will automatically receive $100 in bill credits this fall under a statewide energy-affordability plan.
Closing
The meeting concluded with approval of two post-session resolutions authorizing new contracts for school custodians and supervisors, followed by standard departmental reports and a brief Board of Health session.
The next council meeting is scheduled for Oct. 21, 2025, at 7 p.m.