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Residents urge action on abandoned school, burned houses and rising equipment thefts
Summary
Multiple residents told the council that the vacant Pippard Elementary site and a long-empty burned house are attracting criminal activity and blight; speakers reported stolen air conditioners, break-ins and unsecured construction staging areas and urged the city and contractors to secure properties and speed hazard remediation.
Several residents used public comment to press the Harper Woods City Council for faster action on abandoned and unsecured properties and to ask for increased enforcement after a spate of equipment thefts and break-ins.
Why it matters: Residents described unsecured construction sites and a long-standing burned house near schools as public-safety and neighborhood-blight issues that attract theft and illegal entry and lower nearby property values.
Eileen Ross, who lives across from Pippard Elementary, described broken fencing, dark interior windows and thefts from the site: “It’s deplorable,” Ross said, and recounted at least two stolen air-conditioner units and repeated vandalism. She said Robertson Brothers (the contractor on site) had been contacted but that fences remained down and equipment appeared to be left unsecured. Margaret Nelson, another neighbor, said she observed trucks staging at the property and that local residents saw multiple vehicles using the site as a staging area.
Two speakers raised the long-vacant, fire-damaged house on Damon Street and Huntington Avenue as a continuing problem. Kelvin Thomas and Troy Jackson said the burned, vacant structure had been in place for years and asked what the city planned to do about demolition or remediation. Jackson noted the house sits within walking distance of Harper Woods High School and expressed concern about the site’s safety and its effect on neighborhood morale and property values.
Council members and staff acknowledged the complaints and said they would follow up. City staff told speakers that the mayor and city management would contact the contractor involved with the Pippard site and monitor the property; staff also confirmed they had received multiple calls about grass mowing and fencing and would address those issues. Police and staff noted that many thefts of outdoor AC units are occurring across the region; council members suggested residents secure exterior units with cages and reiterated that police respond to reports and that arrests and investigations continue.
Outcome: Council members pledged follow-up. The mayor and staff said they would contact the contractor and follow up on fencing, site security and grass maintenance, and the police department encouraged residents to report thefts and to consider protective cages for exterior units.
Next steps: City staff agreed to meet with the Pippard site contractor to clarify staging and fencing, increase monitoring of the burned house status and inform the council and residents about enforcement or demolition options if property owners fail to remediate hazardous or blighted structures. Police urged residents to report incidents promptly and to preserve evidence for investigations.
