Royal Oak Zoning Meeting Turns Physical When Mayor Shows Up

ROYAL OAK, MI — A community meeting at an Elk's Club lodge Saturday to discuss proposed zoning changes in Royal Oak got heated when the mayor and a zoning board member showed up.

Organized by Royal Oakers for Accountability and Responsibility (RO4AR), the group told Fox 2 that the meeting was to discuss their opposition to proposed zoning changes that would allow high rises in the Woodward Corridor.

In a Facebook post, Mayor Mike Fournier said the event was widely advertised on social media, and he and Zoning Board Chairman Clyde Esbri decided to show up to listen to what residents had to say.

"I thought it important that I be there to hear resident concerns, share my perspective as mayor, and provide some facts and background about this ongoing discussion," the mayor said. "Upon arriving, I was surprised to be informed that this was in fact a private meeting, that it was not open to all citizens of Royal Oak, and that neither I, nor the volunteer ZBA member who joined me were welcome to attend."

Fournier said as someone at the meeting explained to them that they were not invited and that the meeting was private — trouble soon erupted.

"A resident with a history of making abusive and threatening statements to the city commission and staff assaulted the ZBA member in an attempt to physically remove him from the premises and a very brief scuffle between the two ensued," Fournier said.

One of the group's Facebook messages posted the day of the meeting read, "No Mayors Allowed! Everyone else who is a resident and willing to believe our stories is welcome!" Charles Semchena, a guest speaker at the meeting, told the TV station that the mayor and Esbri showed up to simply cause trouble.

Both sides blame each other for starting the fight. RO4AR said one of their members ended up in the hospital with a broken collarbone.

"There’s no reason someone should get injured at a meeting where people are assembled to discuss local government," Semchena told the TV station.

Meanwhile, Esbris's attorney Jim Rasor told Fox 2 that his client acted in self-defense and also suffered bruises.

Following Saturday's heated exchange, the mayor said he plans to host a series of virtual and in-person community town halls in the coming weeks to speak directly with residents about city issues and answer questions.

"A healthy democracy requires willingness to debate respectfully and embrace the truth. Perhaps I was too idealistic or a bit naïve to expect a meaningful exchange of ideas today," he said Saturday. "Although I am shaken up a bit, I still have faith that a vast majority of Royal Oakers care about each other and respect different viewpoints."