Goodrich Drafted New Blight Rules. The Council Voted 5-0 to Hold Them.

By Carrie Thompson, Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent, eXp Realty, Grand Blanc, MI

The Goodrich Village Council voted 5-0 on Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 to postpone a vote on amendments to the village blight ordinance, and set no date to take it up again (The Citizen, September 19, 2026). The proposed changes cover Article IV, Blight, Sections 10-101 through 10-108 (Village of Goodrich Council agenda, September 14, 2026).

"We need to be clearer," said Village President Shannon McCafferty (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

The hearing was set in June and moved to September

On June 8, 2026, the council voted 5-0 to set a public hearing on the proposed blight amendments for Monday, July 13, 2026 at 6 p.m., on a motion by McCafferty seconded by Council Member David Lucik (Village of Goodrich Council minutes, June 8, 2026).

The hearing did not stay on that date. The Aug. 10 agenda listed an item to set the public hearing for Monday, Sept. 14, 2026 at 6 p.m. (Village of Goodrich Council agenda, August 10, 2026). The Sept. 14 agenda included both the public hearing and an item to "Consider Adoption of Blight Ordinance amendment Article IV, Sections 10-101 through 10-108" (Village of Goodrich Council agenda, September 14, 2026). The council met in the Goodrich Community Room, lower level, at 7338 S. State Road (Village of Goodrich Council agenda, August 10, 2026).

What the draft would prohibit

Under the proposed amendment, blight would be prohibited in all zoning districts. The list of prohibited items starts with junk, defined as any abandoned, discarded, unusable or unused objects or equipment, including furniture, flooring, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, cans, motor vehicle parts, tires, machinery, bottles, metals, boxes, discarded fencing materials, cartons and crates. The draft would bar storing or accumulating junk on premises that are owned, leased, rented, occupied or vacant (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

The draft also covers overgrown vegetation, trash and debris, structural deterioration, abandoned vehicles, unsecured vacant buildings, rodent or insect infestations, unused sporting equipment, and piles of sticks, twigs and leaves (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

One sentence drew the president's objection

McCafferty pointed to amendment language stating that "conditions constituting blight may be broadly (widely) construed, especially in cases where there is a demonstrated pattern of deterioration and to prevent the worsening of blight conditions" (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

"What does this mean?" she said. "Who's telling me what blight is and what blight isn't? It needs to be very specific and not so broad. Our laws are not subjective, as a resident or business owner, ordinances need to be understandable, and very clear" (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

McCafferty noted that other community blight ordinances "are very definitive in their definitions of blight." The council also plans to separate commercial blight issues from residential ones (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

Residents wrote in before the hearing

Several residents responded in writing before the public hearing. One compared the draft to "an across the board 'Home Owners Association,' dictated to village residents but not by village residents." Another wrote, "Empathy is required in today's economic climate and integrity is necessary to be a responsible human being." A third, a long-time resident, wrote that they did not want "to see homeowners having to surrender their personal property as we moved here to the rural comforts of the agricultural area" (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

For now, the existing ordinance stays in place. The Citizen reported no date for the council's next deliberation on the amendments (The Citizen, September 19, 2026).

What this means if you are buying or selling in Goodrich

If you are selling a home in the village, clear out stored items, old equipment, tires and brush piles before photos. That helps your listing either way and keeps you ahead of whatever version of the ordinance passes. If you are buying, ask the village office whether the property has any open code enforcement matters, and watch council agendas at villageofgoodrich.com for the revised draft.

Every listing I take gets professional photos and video, room sizes, targeted digital ads, and targeted buyer avatars. Call or text Carrie Thompson at (810) 893-3269.

About Carrie Thompson

Carrie Thompson, "Your Favorite Property Girl," is a Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent (REALTOR®) with eXp Realty serving Grand Blanc, Genesee County and nearby Michigan communities, including Goodrich, Atlas Township, Davison, Grand Blanc Township and Lake Fenton. Michigan license 6501338662. Call or text (810) 893-3269.