A household in east Dearborn placed banners around their porch after the city told them outdoor blinds didn’t meet their standards.

DEARBORN – Residents are claiming that the city forced them to take down blinds from their front porches because they don’t meet neighborhood standards.

Over the last two summers, a few households had contacted The Arab American News claiming that city officials had knocked on their doors and asked them to remove blinds they had hanging on their porches. 

The blinds were mainly used to block sunlight and give more privacy to residents who were lounging on their porches.

Resident Joyce Faraj, who lives on Coleman Street in east Dearborn, claimed she had the blinds up to block sunlight due to health issues. Her medication cautions her to avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

 “I had them up for the sole purpose of blocking the sun. The doctor said I can’t have excessive exposure to sunlight,” Faraj said. “Now I can’t sit on my porch until the sun sets, because the city said I had to take them down.” 

Faraj said a city representative told her that placing blinds on the front porch is against city codes and that if she wouldn’t comply with removing them, she would be fined. 

Her neighbors across the street also had the same problem with the city. That household was told that they could display banners, instead of blinds, on their front porch to stay in compliance with city codes. The residents have since placed six commercial banners across their front porch to comply with the rules and minimize sunlight exposure.

However, it appears the city hasn’t given a definitive answer of exactly what the codes are in regards to this situation. Both the Department of Public Information and Residential Services claimed they were unaware that city affiliates were enforcing such rules. 

“The use of indoor blinds outdoors is not likely to prompt the attention of inspectors,” said Mary Laundroche, director of the department of public information. “We don’t have any record of it happening and the blinds are not a usual type of situation our field inspectors deal with.”

Laundroche stated that there is also the possibility that neighborhood associations could have been enforcing the rules. She said the city is further investigating the matter and looking into city codes for clarification.

“We hope they would take into account that items meant for the indoors could deteriorate faster with outside use and instead choose products made for that purpose,” she added. 

A growing number of residents appear disgruntled at the city’s persistence at passing ordinances. Local attorney Tarek Beydoun told The Arab American News that many residents are disappointed that the city is bombarding residents with “unnecessary” rules.

Last week, the city enforced a code that would ban outdoor sports on residential properties after 10 p.m. The city has also enforced a garage ordinance and a hookah bar moratorium in recent months. Both have met with mixed reactions.

“I think people are disappointed in the lack of proper prioritization,” Beydoun said.  “We can’t be known as the city where things aren’t allowed and things are shunned. We don’t need a city government that passes all these unnecessary ordinances. A vocal minority are given attention when the vast majority of people are worried about other issues, such as public safety, crime and taxes.”

Laundroche said the city’s goal is not to restrict residents rights, but to keep the neighborhoods safe and attractive. 

“Obviously, we can’t and don’t want to have an ordinance that covers every possibility, but, in general, our property maintenance rules are designed for safety and to keep our neighborhoods appealing,” Laundroche said.  “We respect property rights and also want to encourage standards that traditionally have made our residential areas attractive. We know our residents share that goal.”