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Council refers multiple long-standing red‑tag properties to public safety committee amid resident complaints
Summary
Council heard staff summaries of six make-safe/demolition show-cause cases for properties with long-standing red tags and minimal owner contact; neighbors described nuisance conditions and safety concerns. All show-cause matters were referred to the Public Safety Committee for March review.
City staff briefed the Lansing City Council Feb. 23 on six make‑safe/demolish (MSD) cases at properties that have been red‑tagged for years, summarized estimated repair costs and ownership status, and recommended MSD orders and committee review.
The six properties under consideration included addresses on Maloney Street, East Kalamazoo Street, Sawyer Road, Norman Street, North High Street and Katy Court. Staff reported original red‑tag dates ranging from 2018 to 2025, state equalized values in the tens of thousands of dollars, estimated repair costs often exceeding those values, and little or no active building-permit activity in several cases. In multiple instances staff said the recorded property owner was deceased or staff had not been able to locate an interested party in probate or via administrative search warrants.
During public comment, a nearby neighbor urged demolition of 104 Katy Court, describing long-term vacancy, structural breaches, animals inside the home, repeated police calls and illicit activity. Council acknowledged the public-safety and nuisance concerns and referred the individual show-cause hearings to the Public Safety Committee for March consideration, with department recommendations (30- or 60-day make-safe/demolish orders) to be reviewed by the committee.
The referral establishes a committee-level review track rather than immediate city-council final action; staff said administrative search warrants and follow-up inspections have been used to confirm property conditions where ownership could not be contacted.
