Ypsilanti HDC finds 90 Maple in state of demolition by neglect, sets Nov. 1 repair deadline

The Ypsilanti Historic District Commission on Aug. 12 voted to declare the baggage building at 90 Maple a case of demolition by neglect and set a deadline for required stabilization and repair.

The commission’s motion, carried unanimously, invoked option 1 of section 54-85 of the Ypsilanti Code of Ordinances and set Nov. 1, 2025, as the date by which the owner must complete repairs addressing “conditions contributing to demolition by neglect.”

The item opened with a staff timeline. Carrie, the city’s preservation planner, told the commission the building has “seen significant deterioration,” tracing staff contacts back to August 2024, an engineering assessment in November and a July 11 structural plan submitted by Hopkins Burns that, staff said, had not been permitted or implemented. Carrie said staff had asked owners or their counsel to appear and supply completed plans; she said the city did not receive a clear implementation schedule and that the temporary measures observed on the building did not amount to permanent stabilization.

Commissioners pressed for clarity about remedies and next steps. Commissioner James Chestnut, after reviewing the submitted materials and site photos, said the temporary membrane on the roof “is a Band‑Aid on the bleeding” and does not fix the structural problems inspectors previously described. Another commissioner described the building as “in danger of imminent collapse” and said public safety concerns were heightened because the property remained open for parking.

The owner’s counsel, identified in an emailed statement read into the record, said the owner had removed brush, applied a synthetic underlayment and submitted stabilization plans. Counsel requested that the commission withdraw a pending demolition-by-neglect action. Staff and several commissioners said the record did not show an actionable, permitted application tied to a schedule that would ensure stabilization before winter.

After further discussion about the ordinance’s options and how the process would proceed if a complete application arrived, the commission voted on a motion confirming the property’s state of demolition by neglect and applying option 1 of section 54-85, with the commission-set timeline that repairs addressing the conditions contributing to demolition by neglect be complete by Nov. 1, 2025. The motion was seconded and passed with all present voting aye.

Under the ordinance, the finding opens a range of enforcement tools the city can pursue and requires the commission and city staff to set a reasonable schedule for required work. Commissioners discussed possible branching outcomes (compliance, further enforcement or city intervention) depending on whether the owner files a complete application and executes repairs within the timeline.

The commission’s action does not itself order immediate demolition; rather, it triggers the procedural schedule and the option to require repairs or to pursue more intrusive remedies if the owner fails to act. Staff said the owner would still need to submit a complete application and obtain any building permits; the earliest HDC review window for a permit application would be the September meeting. The commission also noted that an accepted application and commenced work could change the trajectory of enforcement at a future meeting.

The commission asked staff to communicate the motion and timeline to the owner and to report back if a complete application is filed or if follow-up enforcement steps are needed.

Votes at the Aug. 12 meeting mean the commission will revisit the case if the owner files a complete, permitted stabilization plan before the Nov. 1 deadline.