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Franklin planners review weed-and-grass ordinance; staff urged to remove 'exotic' term, consider milkweed exception and height flexibility
Summary
At its July 15 meeting the Village of Franklin planning commission reviewed proposed changes to the Weed and Grass Growth Control ordinance, including clarifying definitions, adding a milkweed exception following a 2025 state revision, reassessing the 8-inch height limit and removing an awkward lien clause. Staff will return with sample language and data.
The Village of Franklin planning commission on July 15 reviewed a staff memorandum recommending targeted changes to the village's Weed and Grass Growth Control ordinance (Franklin Ch. 14-79), including clearer definitions, an exception for milkweed and possible adjustments to maximum grass heights.
Chris, a village staff member who presented the memo, said the ordinance currently requires grass and weeds not to exceed 8 inches in platted subdivisions and within 100 feet of public roads, and assigns enforcement to the village administrator. He told commissioners the village ordinance "differs from [the state act] in that it deals with something called exotic invasive plant species, native species, and naturally landscaped areas" and recommended removing the word "exotic" and tightening definitions to distinguish ordinary nonnative plantings from truly invasive species.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the village's varied lot sizes and wooded properties make a one-size height limit awkward. Paul Braekman and others urged staff to collect complaint data and neighborhood examples before adopting a uniform change so the commission can see how often enforcement is triggered and where exceptions might be appropriate.
Key recommendations and details discussed: staff compared Franklin to eight nearby communities and the Michigan Public Act 359 of 1941. Findings cited by Chris included: Canton Township uses a 5-inch maximum in some categories; Southfield allows up to 12 inches (with different rules for vacant land); Bingham Farms charges a 1% administrative fee for contractor mowing, Birmingham a 15% penalty, while Franklin's administrative fee is 20% on top of a lien. Chris also noted the state act was revised in 2025 to specify that milkweed is not a noxious weed, and recommended adding that clarification to the village code.
Commissioners debated specific items the staff recommended revisiting: the 8-inch lawn threshold, an 18-inch cap for "naturally landscaped premises," and a provision that restricts how close natural plantings can come to a property line (currently two feet in some language). Several members supported allowing managed-meadow or pollinator-friendly areas in designated situations while keeping curb-facing or right-of-way edges trimmed.
On enforcement language, commissioners asked Chris to reword a clause that awkwardly stated "the village shall have a lien" so it conforms with standard municipal authority language (for example, "the village may place a lien").
Next steps: Commissioners asked staff to return with (1) complaint-count data for lawn- and vegetation-related code enforcement; (2) photographic examples of naturally landscaped areas in Franklin and comparable municipalities; and (3) sample ordinance language for recommended changes. The commission did not adopt ordinance language at the meeting; members agreed to revisit the item next month after the requested follow-up.
The commission also signaled support for adding a milkweed exception to align with the 2025 state update and for removing the word "exotic" from the ordinance language, pending final draft edits from staff.
