Libertarian group joins fight against garage restrictions in Dearborn

Libertarian ForOur Future · Jul 10, 2013

A libertarian group has joined the cause of Dearborn residents who oppose the citys crackdown on people who use their garages as living spaces, saying the city is violating their rights.

At a Planning Commission meeting Monday night in Dearborn, a leader with a libertarian group started by former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul raised questions about the citys plan to tweak an ordinance that regulates the use of garages.

The city is dictating what you can put in your garage, Chris McKelvie, the Wayne County coordinator for Campaign for Liberty, said to the commission.

In recent years, a growing number of residents especially those in the Arab-American community have transformed their garages into living spaces where they hang out, cook, smoke water pipes, and eat. Some have even installed sliding glass doors. City officials are concerned such activity is causing safety hazards, pointing to a fire in November that was started by a heater kept in a garage.

We have people trying to live in their garages, and thats a problem, Christine Sickle, a member of the Planning Commission, said at the meeting. The commission voted to table the proposed changes until its August meeting.

The city has proposed changing its ordinance to restrict people from using their garages to cook, sleep in, or use as a living space. They also would ban sliding doors in the front, which is an increasingly popular feature among Arab-Americans who live in the eastern section of Dearborn.

Some residents who have elaborate garages say their rights are being violated.

Were not causing any problems, said Muheeb Nabulsy, a Dearborn resident of Arab descent with a garage that has a sliding door in front. This is discrimination.

http://www.freep.com/article/20130708/NEWS02/307080125/Dearborn-ponders-new-rules-for-residential-garages
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Oh the horror, people are living in their garages. What is this country coming to? Whatever happened to just living inside of a house? Oh the humanity of it all...

Pathetic, who cares where these folks wish to live? If it's on their property or someone else property, that has granted permission to live in their garage, who is anyone to say differently? This continue over reach is absurd. I'm glad a libertarian faction is stepping up to help fight this clear violation of rights.

When will folks learn that when their backs are up against the wall, human nature kicks it to figure out an alternative. If this works for those parties involved, so be it. Let them live the life they so choose, it's none of anyone else business, period.

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Libertarian group joins fight against garage restrictions in Dearborn

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Libertarian group joins fight against garage restrictions in Dearborn

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