Detroit Branch v. City of Dearborn

434 N.W.2d 444, 173 Mich. App. 602
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 19, 1988
DocketDocket 95984
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 434 N.W.2d 444 (Detroit Branch v. City of Dearborn) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Detroit Branch v. City of Dearborn, 434 N.W.2d 444, 173 Mich. App. 602 (Mich. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

Wahls, J.

Defendant, the City of Dearborn, appeals as of right from a decision of the Wayne Circuit Court which declared unconstitutional portions of a Dearborn ordinance restricting the use of most city parks by nonresidents. In its September 29, 1986, decision, the circuit court held that, regarding two specific Dearborn parks (Ford Woods Park and Crowley Park) certain portions of the ordinance (§§ 4, 5, 6 and 7) violated Const 1963, art 1, § 2, which prohibits racial discrimination against any individual while exercising his or her civil rights; and that, regarding all Dearborn parks, those same portions of the ordinance violated Const 1963, art 1, § 11 and US Const, Am IV, which prohibit unreasonable searches and seizures. As a result, the circuit court permanently enjoined the city from enforcing the challenged portions of the ordinance. Our examination of the issues presented in this appeal against the touchstones of both legal precedent and public policy convinces us that the circuit court’s conclusions comport with the requirements of state and federal constitutional law. Accordingly, we affirm the result reached by the circuit court regarding the unconstitutionality of §§ 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the city *606 ordinance as applicable to Ford Woods Park and Crowley Park. In addition, we also affirm the result reached by the circuit court regarding the unconstitutionality of § 5 of the city ordinance as applicable to all parks in Dearborn, although we find it necessary to remand the case for the limited purpose of requiring the circuit court to state its reasons and analyses for finding §§ 4, 6 and 7 of the ordinance, as applied to all city parks, violative of state and federal protections against unreasonable seizures.

The record reveals that in November, 1985, an ordinance regarding municipal parks was adopted by the residents of Dearborn in a referendum vote. The ordinance, 85-330, consists of twenty-three sections which address matters such as hours of operation, picnic areas and camping use, consumption of alcoholic beverages, solicitation of contributions, merchandising of articles, and unlawful conduct. Relevant to the present appeal, however, are certain sections of the ordinance concerning the use of neighborhood parks by nonresidents or those who are not guests of city residents. 1 The challenged sections of the ordinance, §§ 4, 5, 6 and 7, provide as follows:

SECTION 4. ADMITTANCE TO AND USE OF PARK facilities: It being the stated purpose of this ordinance to ensure that all residents and their guests be granted free access and enjoyment of the parks; it is therefore recognized and declared that residents shall be given priority in the use of said parks and that in some instances, restrictions shall be placed on the use of parks, especially neighbor *607 hood parks, where unrestricted use of such facilities would result in exclusion of residents. Accordingly, the Director shall be responsible for implementing the stated purpose and is hereby given authority to implement such reasonable procedures as are necessary to ensure compliance with said purpose. In furtherance of said purpose, the Director shall:
(a) Establish a system of permits for use of the parks, or any of them, and for the use of park facilities; and require applications for such permits and prescribe forms therefor; and provide for the suspension or revocation of such permits for improper use of park facilities, untrue statements in applications for permits, improper use of permits, or other cause.
(b) Establish rules and regulations, not otherwise contained within this ordinance, for the orderly use of the parks and facilities and the establishment of fees and charges for the use of any park or facility.
(c) Restrict the use of any recreational facility or equipment so as to assure its reasonable availability to all persons, especially residents, using the park and desiring to use such recreational facility or equipment.
(d) Restrict the use of neighborhood parks to use by residents[ 2 ] and their guests only.
(e) Erect appropriate signage at neighborhood parks designed to notify all persons using said facilities of the use restrictions contained within this ordinance. At a minimum, said signs shall read: "Dearborn Residents and Guests Only. Identification must be produced when requested.”
SECTION 5. PRODUCTION OF IDENTIFICATION: No person in a park who claims to be a resident shall refuse or fail to produce and exhibit adequate identification proving residency upon the request of any law enforcement officer or authorized Recreation Department employee who wishes to inspect *608 the identification for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this ordinance have been complied with. Adequate identification shall consist of a driver’s license, voter’s registration card, school identification card, Secretary of State identification card or special permit issued by the City Clerk or Director of Recreation.
section 6. permits required. In addition to any other provision of this ordinance that requires the obtaining of a permit prior to engaging in a given activity, no person in a park shall conduct, operate, present, manage or take part in any of the following activities unless a permit is obtained prior to the start of the activity upon such terms and conditions as may be established by the Director:
(a) Any picnic, outing or gathering sponsored by any person, organization, club, business or group composed of 20 or more persons.
(b) Any organized sports activity, contest, exhibit, dramatic performance, play, motion picture, radio or television broadcast, fair, circus, musical event, or any similar event.
(c) Any public meeting, assembly or parade, including, but not limited to drills, maneuvers, ceremonies, addresses, speeches, or political meetings.
(d) Any use of any park facility by a certain person or group of persons to the exclusion of others.
(e) The use of public swimming pools shall be restricted to residents and their guests only, under a permit system established by the Director. Only one guest shall accompany a resident at any one time and residents under the age of 18 years shall not be permitted to sponsor a guest’s use of a public swimming pool.
section 7. production of permits: No persons in a park shall refuse or fail to produce and exhibit any permit he claims to have upon the request of any law enforcement officer or authorized Recreation Department employee who wishes to inspect the permit for the purpose of determining that the *609 provisions of this ordinance have been complied with. [Emphasis added.]

In addition, § 21 states that any person convicted of violating any provision of the ordinance "shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and . . .

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Bluebook (online)
434 N.W.2d 444, 173 Mich. App. 602, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/detroit-branch-v-city-of-dearborn-michctapp-1988.