[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6053307,"mediaKeyId","3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e","parentId",3375705,"title","Residents urge Farmington Hills to rescind deer cull, propose nonlethal alternatives","audioSeconds",6751,"startMs",3688000,"endMs",10439000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e&start=3688&end=10439","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e/thumbnail_3688000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6053307/Farmington-Hills-City/Oakland-County/Michigan/Residents-urge-Farmington-Hills-to-rescind-deer-cull-propose-nonlethal-alternatives","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053307-9dcb4b1f420b2fcbea78a02e6485b9a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158685&Signature=bnbj~nQu7nKPm4c~qYwCmA5JhMtXEY1GPSQ3c8oK86zdQv5K98Vj51eKr0-pu1nhJN1hwOP0qktc7KrVPFuJ2N1-em29b~JJCANgxxvEiYv1oiuq~VVTDG6hrDdiUpFo7xTEHetpuue0tNOJpujehdPEOXqjLfJcEs5BAp4YQZW~SWEaL9~XiuTkQhGAwTM7UwmCBHkqYoEyZ7agJhI2pq-PwJw0vF2BvClnR42Tw3cmESrZ9feE70NNmhuYihUYnkUfjPo~tSMVkkaPrsoAiYbCqyp6W4x9wDa~xBSQmLr4on7jA-p~zn9D4tnbjFdo7g~8ruXnmQI0XpbPVKRdmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Farmington Hills, Michigan","date","2025-05-13T03:31:19Z","article","Dozens of Farmington Hills residents used public comment time on May 12 to urge city council to reverse or revisit an April decision authorizing lethal control of the municipal deer herd. Speakers called for nonlethal alternatives — including sterilization, habitat modification, education and time‑limited pilot programs — and cited examples from other U.S. jurisdictions that used sterilization or targeted nonlethal measures.

Residents described emotional and safety concerns, and questioned the effectiveness and community impacts of a recurring lethal program. “When we remove a doe from the woods, we don’t just take one life, we take her fawn,” Abigail Thompson said during public comment, describing the typical behavior and dependency of fawns. Several speakers noted they had not been able to attend earlier meetings when the council discussed deer management and asked for a citywide survey or additional public engagement.

A resident who said he reviewed local data asked the council to consider crash statistics and the relative share of deer‑vehicle collisions among total crashes; another resident urged staff to publish detailed, comparative data. Residents referenced work elsewhere — Staten Island, Fairfax and Ann Arbor were named in public comment — that used sterilization, vasectomies, or other nonlethal interventions alongside education, signage and bans on feeding.

Speakers also raised logistics questions about meat donation, disease testing and compliance with state Department of Natural Resources rules for baiting and carcass handling. “200 deer per year starting next year will be killed in Farmington Hills,” Monica Sipe said, repeating a figure she attributed to public materials; several speakers requested clarity on the scale and frequency of any lethal action and asked the council to publish the supporting biological and safety data.

City staff did not take new action at the May 12 meeting on deer management; the topic was the subject of prior council consideration. Several residents asked council to rescind the earlier authorization or to hold a formal review comparing lethal and nonlethal approaches with cost and effectiveness estimates before implementing any field operations.

The council did not vote on a new resolution at this meeting; residents seeking further action are advised to follow council meeting agendas for any future items related to wildlife management and to submit comments or petitions to the city clerk.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Council 05.12.2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the May 12 council meeting dozens of residents urged the council to reverse or pause a decision to cull the deer herd, citing animal welfare, incomplete data and examples of nonlethal programs elsewhere; council did not take new action on the issue at the meeting.","taxTitle","Farmington Hills City, Oakland County, Michigan","taxId",4571,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6053312,"Council introduces ordinance to allow alcohol service in smoking lounges",302,8909000,9211000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e&start=8909&end=9211","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e/thumbnail_8909000.jpg","/articles/6053312/Farmington-Hills-City/Oakland-County/Michigan/Council-introduces-ordinance-to-allow-alcohol-service-in-smoking-lounges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053312-f9dbc7929c8f53f82916e20641b23c7e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158685&Signature=ntSXJZSFEI2RkSJ62Lvv2Og0-7iy9fqsK4Vfj8UaKEniLV0vDstWXjb3W34FDji4whmFX8rWpHGKtOVf4CpK932QL8R7GqBYWidL0sfcigUIsE7-Rz2EBpWFIHmC0OjkY~0XpEwIw1-tC7uaTzBD4KzI5gui-~aZsS7RxLKf-9wEgoAk0JtJRnnv4z~ghCGx5r3bOLxsNZxnmDXst~5ckHC3mBfpwezM7XHuU94W61uWnRx~G5lPoRJXlA58XHJZ9uZxxZe12X3sO39lfOHWaD5asvDGJHRzGnpqUShoNCYy~VpMuy-gbw~pdYQHQk-F0kVCtH9HJPMS6DQ41nZdTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Farmington Hills City Council voted to introduce an ordinance amending Chapter 8 (business licensing), Article 2 (smoking lounges), to allow licensed consumption of alcoholic beverages in approved smoking lounges.

City staff said the action follows a prior change last year that removed the bona fide restaurant requirement from the liquor code, specifically to enable other hospitality uses to seek licenses. The city clerk told council the city recently received an application for both a liquor license and a smoking lounge license for an upscale cigar bar; under the current smoking‑lounge code, alcohol is not permitted inside a smoking lounge.

At a prior study session staff presented draft language, and council members indicated general support for moving the amendment forward. Councilmember Knoll made the motion to introduce the ordinance at the regular meeting; the motion passed on roll call. The ordinance introduction starts a formal process — typically a first reading followed by a second reading and potential adoption at a later meeting — during which the city will finalize the code language and accept any required public input.

The clerk advised council that the city’s smoking‑lounge license retains the city’s existing regulatory framework for hours, age restrictions and compliance, while the new ordinance text would simply allow alcohol consumption when the license and permits are in place.","Following a council study session, the City Council approved introduction of an ordinance amending the city code to permit alcohol consumption in licensed smoking lounges, clearing the way for a pending cigar bar application to seek a liquor license and smoking‑lounge permit.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6053317,"Council upholds fee for FOIA request seeking city manager/assistant manager texts",271,8514000,8785000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e&start=8514&end=8785","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e/thumbnail_8514000.jpg","/articles/6053317/Farmington-Hills-City/Oakland-County/Michigan/Council-upholds-fee-for-FOIA-request-seeking-city-managerassistant-manager-texts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053317-c40ed7ce82f128180db883d41d71fc14/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158685&Signature=OtLJyL~OBww7mv7BNCRQUwQCrtSe0KuG27b3EesK-KuOtCmO7RlEAQNbVg~4qZMYUy1dM~EEo4jnn0nS0bgJflTlTCTmA7RpLcPExOYzfg1lUP1brgHfm1hw80TF7S4hbSSlyd9Kfx20G-UioTux~kXA3D3jJzX34QGDGYPkKH5altP7~pNNMaYeADaLCfd3OSZJ2hoMnXkWPGcq~pQVV4tW-pAPswjG6uU3S68gMhNsFONPMlf~KJQmwck36QhB6qcRF-I6yCyporkqlEDGMGWvLKHjOvrnGAetDxAXURp7VccjZ4Yx8T6nJrIzdPcrGBdSuyu9hYmMdB2M~aK94g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Farmington Hills City Council unanimously upheld the clerk’s fee and deposit request for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) appeal seeking text messages between the city manager and assistant city manager for Jan. 1–March 31, 2025.

City attorney representative Carlito Young and the clerk’s office advised the council that the request involved the two highest administrative officials and that a thorough review would be necessary to identify privileged or private information before release. Young said the work required is not suitable to lower‑level staff and that the estimated fee covered reasonable tasks to retrieve and redact exempt material. “The cost was reasonable,” Young told council members.

Councilmember Bruce moved to uphold the city’s deposit request and to deny a fee‑waiver request, citing statutory provisions that permit cost recovery for processing FOIA requests. The motion described the statutory basis, noting that FOIA authorizes municipalities to charge for the labor and review necessary to produce records and that the requester had not provided the documentation needed to qualify for a reduced fee.

Council voted unanimously to affirm the clerk’s action. The clerk had estimated the cost to prepare responsive records and requested a 50 percent good‑faith deposit before processing; the council determined that the fee assessment followed the city’s publicly posted FOIA procedures and the statute.","City Council unanimously affirmed the clerk’s decision to require a deposit to cover costs of locating and reviewing text messages between the city manager and assistant city manager. The council found the fee reasonable and denied the fee‑waiver request.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6053322,"Farmington Hills council postpones 13 Mile Mulberry Park PUD after residents raise density, drainage and tree-loss concerns",6689,4121000,10810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e&start=4121&end=10810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3375705-37418e9154f9d89d354ebe5922e6d90e/thumbnail_4121000.jpg","/articles/6053322/Farmington-Hills-City/Oakland-County/Michigan/Farmington-Hills-council-postpones-13-Mile-Mulberry-Park-PUD-after-residents-raise-density-drainage-and-tree-loss-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053322-53f03cbb07fae9b99c82e00c318a39e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158685&Signature=HEDbd4viBevM2iIE-P6y-b6y0251khMiKrBlTViUY9R7Gxo6vtq~gef9nGG9-ize~02HMh1JBevGYWvQt3eNab2f3AZzqh0euz~dQY-z9VqMsT7K6yWqVmmBJ6usLz6wOM9pOttbQmgPUelWaSMowZy5wacHsyArIOYxXWfo2-RkUGhlIqTb-ly8IudGkqIV-7uUf3D~7H7eUQ5E~vw8UcJkgBdAOdMXzsXlA-1XHiVtTmvAdb4U7sTDkA16nY4GPHf3XAcHNvpRU9e6dv3XR6xBvGw42BP4dobCrJS~Tncj6TiCXxf6Yuc6IDnpx~oTqZ2eky3nEByriv3SXIoQHw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Farmington Hills City Council postponed action on Planned Unit Development (PUD) 02/2024 — Mulberry Park and The Tabernacle, a proposed multifamily project along 13 Mile Road west of Middlebelt — after extensive council questions and more than a half‑hour of public comment about density, drainage and tree loss. The council voted to delay a final decision until Aug. 11, 2025, to allow the developer and staff more time to seek changes and provide clearer density benchmarks.

The decision follows several plan revisions from the applicant, Schaeffer Development, which reduced the project from 76 units in January to 65 units in the May resubmittal and increased setbacks along the development’s southern edge. Planning and community development director Charmaine Ketler Schmalt told the council the site is currently zoned RA‑1 and that the city’s 2024 master plan designates this corridor for “flex residential,” a future‑land‑use category meant to allow higher‑density or attached housing through tools such as a PUD.

Developer Aaron Schaeffer said the team had cut units and reconfigured building types after prior meetings, and emphasized voluntary benefits including pocket parks, public art and a larger southern buffer. “We listened and we have tailored back the density,” Schaeffer said during his presentation, and he outlined that the May plan shows roughly 12.46 acres with the revised mix of ranch and townhouse units. The developer said the plan now shows between about 17 and 18 rooms per acre, depending on final interior layouts.

Residents who live behind the site in Holly Hill Farms and Westgate urged the council to deny or substantially alter the plan. “I see my property value dropping if this happens,” resident Wanda Whalen said during public comment. Multiple neighbors submitted photos and engineering concerns about existing backyard flooding and said they feared grading and new impervious surfaces would worsen runoff. A number of speakers urged the council to require fewer units and larger, single‑story rear buildings to reduce visual impacts.

City engineers and the director of public services said the proposed design would require on‑site stormwater detention and would be reviewed against city and Oakland County standards. Jacob Russell, director of public services, told the council the project is required to capture post‑development runoff on site and that the developer’s basin is designed to meet current engineering standards; “what they’re proposing…would actually be a massive improvement to the existing conditions,” Russell said.

Council members highlighted three recurrent issues: traffic, stormwater and density. Councilmember Aldridge said the developer’s agreement to provide a signalized left‑turn connection into Detroit Baptist Manor reduced his traffic concern. But Aldridge and other council members said they remained worried about overall project scale, and several urged converting more units that back the neighborhood to single‑story ranches and lowering total units further. “At minimum … the southern portion that faces Holly Hill should be single story,” Councilmember Aldridge said during deliberations.

The council and the applicant agreed to continue work with city staff on a narrow list of changes, including a clear, agreed density benchmark tied to comparable local developments and additional tree preservation or screening along the southern property line. The council’s motion to postpone to Aug. 11, 2025, passed by a recorded tally of four in favor and two opposed; the item will return for further review and possible action after that date.

If approved at a future meeting, the development would still require final engineering approvals and conditions in a PUD agreement. The planning commission previously recommended the project and a public hearing had been held earlier in the review process; the council closed the public hearing in March before postponing further deliberation to the May meeting.","Council tabled a planned unit development for Mulberry Park and the Tabernacle, a proposed 65‑unit multifamily project on 13 Mile Road, after months of revisions and public comment highlighting stormwater, tree removal and neighborhood scale concerns. The developer agreed to further revisions and the item was postponed to Aug. 11, 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents urge Farmington Hills to rescind deer cull, propose nonlethal alternatives

Council introduces ordinance to allow alcohol service in smoking lounges

Council upholds fee for FOIA request seeking city manager/assistant manager texts

Farmington Hills council postpones 13 Mile Mulberry Park PUD after residents raise density, drainage and tree-loss concerns