Eastpointe planners review neighborhood goals, cite uneven progress and code‑enforcement gaps

Commissioners and planning consultants reviewed the neighborhoods section of Eastpointe’s master plan and agreed that most action items remain in progress rather than completed, with several neighborhoods showing little or no activity.
The discussion focused on three goals from the prior plan: encouraging a range of housing types where infrastructure exists, maintaining and upgrading the current housing stock, and facilitating cohesive neighborhoods through rehabilitation and public improvements. "I would say some of them — most of them — are in progress. None of them are completed," said Commissioner Don (last name not specified), describing a city split into seven neighborhood areas with three showing little to no activity on rehabilitation.
Commissioner Alex Stokes said he marked all three items as “in progress.” Vice Chair Sasek and other commissioners said they want to retain those goals in a new master plan as the city grows.
Commissioners and staff also discussed property maintenance and code enforcement. "We finally have a building official and deputy that are going to enforce the code enforcement," said a staff member identified as Kim, while adding that the city needs resources to help residents, especially seniors, fix code violations. Deputy Building Official Carlton Whitsett said commercial corridors also need attention: "If we have healthy neighborhoods, we've got to have the resources for these retail and this commercial too, not just in the downtown district."
Several commissioners pressed for stronger ordinance enforcement: "Our ordinances need teeth too," one commissioner said, noting owners sometimes ignore violations because enforcement capacity has been limited.
No ordinance changes or formal votes were taken at the meeting; commissioners and staff directed consultants to use this feedback as part of the master‑plan update and to include neighborhood‑specific recommendations in future drafts.
The meeting also included a brief roll‑call approval of the meeting agenda at the start and a motion to adjourn at the end.