DEARBORN — On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Dearborn City Council tabled the garage ordinance amendment that would ban garages from being converted into habitable spaces, to review and clarify parts of it. 

The council said the part of the ordinance that would ban transparent or sliding garage doors needs clarification before the amendment is passed. The council voted 5-0 to table the  ordinance, in the absence of Council President Pro Tem Suzanne Sareini and councilman Mark Shooshanian.

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.

The ordinance bans garages from being converted into places for business. 

Resident Lee Jacobsen, who builds cars in his garage, told the council that the City should not care what goes on inside people’s garages, adding that banning the start of new businesses in garages limits innovation in Dearborn.

“Henry Ford built his first car in a garage,” he said. “We must stand up for Henry Ford.”

Councilman David Bazzy replied to Jacobsen by saying the City will not hire a “SWAT team” to figure out what’s going on in people’s garages.

Mayor Jack O’Reilly Jr., added that the main point of the amendment is to ensure off-street parking spaces, enforcing an existing ordinance that requires Dearborn households to have  off-street parking for two cars.  

In other business, the city council approved a program that would lower parking fees in downtown west Dearborn.

The new “pilot program” lowers parking charges in facilities in the west side of the City to $1 for the first two hours, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Vehicles are currently charged $1.25 for two hours of parking before 4 p.m.

The program will lower the rates for six months.