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Ferndale adopts vacant-structure ordinance with six-month registration and $600 fee
Summary
The Ferndale City Council on May 5 adopted a vacant-and-abandoned-structure ordinance that requires owners to register vacant buildings every six months, submit to an initial in-person inspection and monthly exterior checks, and pay a $600 six-month registration fee; the council also approved a required fee review in October 2025.
The Ferndale City Council adopted an ordinance to regulate vacant and abandoned structures on May 5, 2025, requiring a six-month registration, an in-person inspection by community development and fire staff before registration is issued, monthly exterior inspections and a six-month registration fee of $600.
City staff said the ordinance is intended to protect public health, safety and neighborhood welfare by requiring maintenance of vacant properties, enabling interior inspections where necessary, and giving staff enforcement tools when owners fail to comply.
Community & Economic Development Director Roger Crusoe told the council the program is designed to address long-running resident complaints about derelict and vacant properties that attract vermin, dumping and structural hazards. The ordinance excludes properties with an active rental license or a current building permit, allows limited exemptions for narrowly defined circumstances (for example, an owner in a nursing facility or a property under an active, documented listing agreement), and permits appeal of exemption denials to the city manager.
Under the ordinance, staff will conduct an in-person joint inspection by code enforcement and the fire department during the initial registration step and then perform monthly exterior checks during the registration period. Crusoe warned implementation will require significant staff time at rollout and estimated the department could realistically handle roughly two new registrations per week once the program is underway; he asked the community for patience during implementation.
Fire Chief Robinson described public-safety reasons for interior inspections: vacant buildings can hide fire hazards and unsafe conditions not visible from the right of way, and inspections help the city identify and mitigate risks to neighbors and first responders.
Several nearby residents spoke during the public comment period about long-standing problems at specific properties. A neighbor identified as Sam (1971 Symes Street) described rodents, yard debris and repeated nuisance conditions next door; a resident at 3209 Chester Street described repeated police responses and interior hazards at a neighboring home; Melissa Bilski and others gave similar accounts from Syme Street. A written letter from resident Jason Storms was read into the record in support of the ordinance.
Council members asked for details about fee calculations, inspection frequency and exceptions. Crusoe provided staff estimates and sample low- and high-effort scenarios for staff time and said the fee is intended to recover program costs and to create a deterrent for absentee owners who do not maintain properties. Council also discussed neighboring jurisdictions’ fee approaches and the balance between compliance and disproportionate financial burden on owners in probate or other hardship situations.
By motion, the council adopted the ordinance to add sections governing vacant and abandoned buildings to chapter 6 of the Ferndale Code of Ordinances. The council then separately amended the 2024–25 fee schedule to add a six-month vacant-building registration fee of $600 and set a council review of the fee and program for the first council meeting in October 2025.
The ordinance gives the city enforcement options when owners fail to register or remedy conditions: civil citations, assessment of fees to the tax roll and other legal remedies available under state law. Staff said they will refine operational details after rollout and expect to propose program adjustments if needed at the October review.
