City Services > Community Development

Garage/Yard Sale Signs
Inoperable Vehicle Ordinance
Noxious Weed Ordinance
Open House Signs
Recreation Vehicle Parking Zoning Ordinance Requirements
Snow Removal
Storage of Appliances, Fixtures and Household Furnishings

Garage/Yard Sale Signs

Chapter 28 - Sign Code permits the following:

Garage or yard sale signs to advertise the sale of items to potential purchasers subject to the following.

A) Signs must be located in a residential district

B) Must be freestanding sign, groundpole or portable signs (cannot be placed on utility poles or traffic control devices)

C) May be no larger than 4 square feet

D) May be no higher than five feet

One sign is permitted at the residence conducting the sale. One additional sign may be placed at each entranceway to the subdivision within which the sale is being conducted and at intersections within that subdivision to provide directions to the sale, provided the signs are located outside any public right-of-way and are at least 10 feet from the traveled portion of the road.

Signs are permitted during the duration of the sale, and only during the hours of 7:00am to 7:00pm, daily.

 

Inoperable Vehicle Ordinance

An inoperable vehicle is defined as:

A) A vehicle unable to operate due to mechanical disrepair

B) A vehicle unable to operate due to accident

C) A vehicle that does not display a current registration

Sec. 33-709. Outdoor storage restricted.

It is unlawful within the city to park, keep, maintain, accumulate, or permit to remain on any private premises any inoperable or dismantled motor vehicles or parts thereof, unless such vehicle or parts thereof are screened so as to completely obscure the same from view from public places and from neighboring private premises. It shall be the responsibility of both the owner of any private premises and the person in control of such premises to maintain the premises free of inoperable or dismantled vehicles. It shall further be the responsibility of the owner of any inoperable or dismantled vehicle to keep such vehicle from being parked on any private premises in violation of this division.

 

Noxious Weed Ordinance

Sec. 21-17. Unlawful to permit noxious weeds.

It shall be unlawful for the owner, occupant or any person having control or management of any lot, place, area, or parcel of land within the city to permit or allow the presence thereon or on any portion thereof or upon the right-of-way of any highway, road or street adjacent to such lot, place, area or parcel of noxious weeds of any kind, scattered among which are Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), dodders (any species of Cuscuta), mustards (charlock, black mustard and Indian mustard, species of Brassica or Sinapis), wild carrot (Daucus carota), bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), perennial sow thistle (Sunchus arvensis), hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana), ragweed (Ambrosia elatior), poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron), poison sumac (Vernix), ox-eyed daisies, goldenrod, milkweed, or any other varieties, species or plants designated by the city manager as poisonous and/or injurious. Provided, however, that nothing in this article shall apply to fields devoted to growing any small grain crop such as wheats, oats, barley or rye. The presence of such weeds upon any lot or parcel of land within the limits of the city is hereby declared to be a public nuisance.

Sec. 21-18. Duty of landowner to cut noxious weeds.

It is hereby made the duty of the owner, occupant or any person having control or management of any lot, place, area or parcel of land within the city upon which noxious weeds, as described in section 21-17, are found growing or standing, to cut and destroy or cause to be cut and destroyed all such weeds growing or standing on the premises, and upon the right-of-way of any highway, road or street adjacent to such lot, place, area of parcel, in such manner as shall effectually prevent such weeds from perpetuating themselves, at least twice in each year, once during the last half of the month of May, and again during the last half of the month of July of each year, or more often as may be necessary to prevent them from going to seed. If any owner, occupant or any person having control or management of property in the city shall knowingly suffer any noxious weeds, as described in section 21-17, to grow upon such lands or shall suffer such weeds to ripen so as to cause or endanger the spread thereof or so as to constitute a detriment to public health, he shall, upon conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction, be liable to the penalty imposed in this article for violation thereof.

Sec. 21-19. Unlawful to permit other weeds, grass, brush, refuse, debris.

(a) It shall be unlawful for the owner, occupant or any person having control or management of occupied or nonoccupied subdivided land, occupied or unoccupied land which is part of a condominium development (including site condominiums), or any other nonsubdivided parcel of land of one (1) acre or less which is occupied by a structure, within the city to permit or allow on such premises or upon the right-of-way of any highway, road or street adjacent to such lot, place, area or parcel, the presence of weeds, grass, brush, or deleterious, unhealthy growths of any species or variety exceeding a height of twelve (12) inches above ground level or any refuse or debris, and the same are hereby declared to be a public nuisance. It shall be the duty of every owner, occupant, or every person in charge of such property upon which any of the above-mentioned weeds, grass, brush, deleterious, unhealthy growths, or refuse or debris is permitted to remain to cause the same to be cut down, destroyed or removed, in the same manner and within the time provided in section 21-18, or more often as may be necessary.

(b) If such owner, occupant, or person shall knowingly refuse or neglect to comply in this regard he shall, upon conviction in any court of competent jurisdiction, be liable to the penalty imposed in this article for the violation thereof.

 

Open House Signs

Chapter 28 - Sign Code permits the following:

Open house signs to advertise showing of a single-family residential dwelling, including attached or detached condominium units, to potential purposes.

Open House Signs must be:

A) Located in a residential district

B) A groundpole or portable sign

C) No larger than 4 square feet

D) Not higher than 5 feet

One sign is permitted at the residence for sale, not less than one-half the distance between the principal building and the adjacent street.

No more than five additional signs may be placed at the entranceways to the subdivision within which the open house is being conducted and at intersections within that subdivision to provide directions to the house for sale, provided such signs are at least 10 feet from the traveled portion of the road, and provided further that if there is a sidewalk and curb at such location, the sign shall be located between the sidewalk and curb.

Signs as regulated above may be posted between the hours of 11:00am and 4:00pm, solely during the duration of the open house.

 

Recreation Vehicle Parking
Zoning Ordinance Requirements

SECTION 201 -DEFINITIONS

Recreational Equipment: Any travel trailer, camp trailer, camper, folding tent trailer, utility trailer, boat, boat trailer, float and raft, including transportation equipment and off-road vehicles, manufactured motorized home, manufactured motor bus, all designed to be used as a temporary dwelling for travel, recreational and vacation use or periodically and occasional recreational and vacation use.

Sec. 2504. Commercial and Recreational Vehicle Parking and Storage.

The off-street parking or storage of any mobile home or recreational equipment in any residential district shall be subject the following conditions:

1. Except where otherwise permitted in this Ordinance, the off-street parking of a mobile home for periods exceeding twenty-four (24) hours on lands not approved for mobile homes or mobile home parks, shall be expressly prohibited, except that the Building Inspector [Official] may extend temporary permits allowing the parking of a mobile home in a rear yard on private property, not to exceed a period of two (2) weeks.

All mobile homes owned by residents of the City of Novi and stored on their individual lots shall be stored only within the confines of the rear yard and shall further respect the requirements of Section 2503.1, Accessory Buildings, of this Ordinance, insofar as distances from principal structures, lot lines and easements are concerned.

Any such mobile home so parked or stored shall not be connected to sanitary facilities and shall not be occupied.

2. Recreational equipment may be parked anywhere on a residential premises not to exceed seventy-two (72) hours during loading or unloading.

3. Any recreational equipment less than six (6) feet in height above the ground may be stored in any required side or rear yard. In addition to the general six (6) foot height permitted, minor portions of such equipment not exceeding three (3) square feet in vertical cross section as viewed perpendicular to the adjacent lot line may be permitted to exceed six (6) feet in height.

4. Recreational equipment exceeding six (6) feet in height may be stored in any rear yard or in any nonrequired interior side yard subject to the applicable conditions of this Section regarding Accessory Buildings, with respect to height, yard coverage and setbacks.

 

Snow Removal

Sec. 33-333. Definitions; removal or deposit of snow, ice, or slush which obstructs safety vision prohibited; deposit of snow, ice, or slush prohibited; violation as misdemeanor. (5.55b)

(a) As used in this section, "safety vision" means an unobstructed line of sight which enables a driver to travel on, enter, or exit a roadway in a safe manner.

(b) A person shall not remove, or cause to be removed, snow, ice, or slush onto or across a roadway or the shoulder of the roadway in a manner which obstructs the safety vision of the driver of a motor vehicle other than an off-road vehicle.

(c) A person shall not deposit, or cause to be deposited, snow, ice, or slush onto or across a roadway or the shoulder of the roadway in a manner which obstructs the safety vision of the driver of a motor vehicle.

(d) A person shall not deposit, or cause to be deposited, snow, ice, or slush on any roadway or highway.

(e) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

(Ord. No. 81-81.03, Pt. I, 8-17-81)

Sec. 33-688. Sidewalks to be cleared.

The occupant of every lot or premises adjoining any street or the owner of such lot or premises if the same are not occupied, shall clear all ice and snow from sidewalks adjoining such lot or premises within the time required in this section. When any snow or ice shall cease to fall during the daylight hours, such snow or ice shall be cleared from the sidewalks within twelve (12) hours after such cessation. When a fall of snow or ice shall have ceased during the nighttime, it shall be cleared from the sidewalks by 6:00pm of the following day.

 

Storage of Appliances, Fixtures and Household Furnishings

(a) It shall be the responsibility of both the owner of any private property and any person in control of private property to maintain the exterior of such premises free of appliances, including but not limited to refrigerators, freezers and stoves, household fixtures and furnishings, including but not limited to water heaters and furnaces.

(b) The provisions of subsection 16-68(a) shall not apply to appliances, fixtures and furnishings specifically designed or adapted for outdoor usage. The provisions of subsection 16-68(a) shall not apply to porches which are covered and enclosed.

(c) The failure to comply with subsection 16-68(a) shall be violation of this Code.