DEARBORN — The Dearborn City Council voted 7- 0, on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to table the first reading of the zoning ordinance amendment that would ban garages from being converted into habitable spaces. 

The new ordinance defines a habitable space as, “a space within a structure for living, sleeping, eating and cooking.” It prohibits bathrooms or cooking facilities in garages and allows faucet sinks in compliance with City code only.

The amendment still allows people to utilize garages for parties, hobbies, socializing and other temporary uses, but bans installing screen doors that would obstruct the entry of a vehicle.

Although the council appeared to be in favor of the ordinance, which was passed unanimously by the Zoning Commission last month, the decision to table the amendment puts it on hold for a second reading during the next regular city council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 24, when the council can approve, deny, or table the ordinance again. 

The year-long debate over the controversial garage ordinance continued at the city council meeting.  

Councilman Robert Abraham said the ordinance has two main goals. It aims to free spaces in Dearborn garages for cars, because parking has become an “issue” in some neighborhoods and to make Dearborn safer, because garages have never been inspected by the City for safety. 

The City already requires all houses to have off-street parking for at least two cars to allow emergency vehicles to pass through.

Abraham added that the “aesthetic value” of garages was not a reason behind the ordinance.

Marlene Wiscovitch, a Dearborn resident, voiced her support for the ordinance during the meeting.

McKelvie addresses the Dearborn City Council.

“City ordinances are put into place to protect the integrity of the City. If every resident were allowed to make structural changes of any form without the City’s approval, there would be complete chaos,” she said. “Garages are intended to park cars and for storage. They are not to be used as family rooms and additional living space, which some residents have chosen to do.”

Wiscovitch said she read in the Detroit News that Arab residents were alleging discrimination by the City, because of the ordinance and urged the community to comply with City rules, which apply to everybody.

“The changes that have already taken place in many homes in east and west Dearborn create hardships for neighborhoods,” she added. 

Chris McKelvie, the Wayne County coordinator for the Michigan Campaign for Liberty, told the council that the ordinance is about certain individuals who do not like what their neighbors are doing with their own homes. 

McKelvie, a Dearborn Heights resident, said his brother stopped buying property in Dearborn because of City regulations.

“There’s no tangible proof to support that if I put a chandelier in my garage, surrounding property values will go down, like some people have argued,” he said. “As long as what I’m doing isn’t harming anyone else, or the adjoining property, then we should learn to respect other people’s rights to do what they want with their home.”

He said that home prices in Dearborn have been actually going up, despite the furnished garages.

McKelvie acknowledged that turning garages into lounging spaces is not traditional, but added that the City should respect people’s “property rights.”

Councilman David Bazzy replied to McKelvie by quoting an old teacher of his as saying: “Your freedom ends at my nose,” explaining that one’s freedom cannot infringe on others’ rights. 

Bazzy repeated Wiscovitch’s comments on garages being made for cars and added that the current owners of homes in the City are “stewards” of the properties and must pass them in the best possible shape to the next generation.

In other business, the council passed a resolution to extend impaired driving to prescription drugs, in accordance with state law. Even if the drugs are medically prescribed, it is now illegal to drive under their influence. Drugs covered by the ordinance would have a warning against operating heavy machinery on their label.

The council also awarded a $33,534.46 contract to DCM Technology Group, to maintain computers in the 19th District Court and a $245,000 contract to Sprint to provide cellular telephone equipment for the City over the next two years. 

The city council accepted and acknowledged a $19,214 grant from USDN Breakthrough Convenings, to host a meeting of several cities for a regional project to install energy-saving street lights.

The council sent condolences to the families of late Dearborn residents Joseph Hallissey, Riad S. Shatila and Winferd W. Weldon.

Hallissey was the former development director of Henry Ford Community College. He was active in raising funds for good causes and Dearborn schools. Weldon was a U.S. Army veteran.  

Council President Pro Tem Suzanne Sareini said Shatila, the founder and owner of Shatila Bakery, was a “pillar in our community.” She recalled his contributions to Dearborn and sent condolences to his wife, children and siblings.