Detroit committee presses city on open demolition holes and soil remediation

The Detroit Public Health and Safety Standing Committee on March 30 heard multiple public complaints about unfilled demolition holes and ongoing soil remediation, and asked the administration for more transparency and faster action.

Several residents described hazardous, water‑filled holes left after emergency demolitions. "There are unfilled demolition holes on Tacoma between Reno and Ratchet that have water in them," said Jacqueline Miller, an East Side resident who called into the meeting, urging the council to ensure the sites are covered before children play nearby. Another resident, Miss Hughes, told the committee the city had been "negligent" in cleaning contaminated sites and urged the chair to act.

Vice Chair Denzel Anton McCampbell asked the administration for an immediate update and requested answers by the end of the meeting. Raquel Harrington, press secretary for the City's construction and demolition department, told the committee the work is ongoing and described a multi‑step testing and remediation process. "We do not give our contractors permission to proceed until we get those test results back of the field, and make sure it is completely good to go," Harrington said, adding the city is retesting sites after removal and posting progress publicly.

Harrington pointed members to an interactive map on the city's website (detroit.gov/cddsoiltesting) that shows sites, testing status and whether a lot is in testing, remediation or ready for fill. She said the department has completed significant testing work and is conducting one‑on‑one outreach with residents; a public webcast describing the process is scheduled for April 6.

Committee members pressed for specifics. The vice chair noted some demolition sites listed as removed in November and December remain a concern in April and asked whether perimeter fencing is sufficient; Harrington said many sites are protected with orange plastic barriers while testing is underway, and said the department is checking contractors' compliance and asking the public to report unprotected sites.

Members also held off action on two emergency demolition contracts (6.2 and 6.3) until contract end dates and additional procurement details are provided by the Office of Contracting and Procurement. Eric Cooper of OCP told the committee notices of emergency run through 06/30/2026 and agreed to provide the missing end‑date information; the committee moved to bring those items back in one week.

The committee did not record a roll‑call vote on these items; several routine contracts and grants were approved without objection elsewhere on the agenda. The committee asked for follow‑up memos, additional detail about fencing and timelines, and signaled it will continue this review at the next hearing.

Next steps: the committee instructed administration staff to provide contract end dates and to report back in one week; the city will host a public downcast on April 6 to explain the soil‑testing and remediation process.