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'Enough Is Enough!' Says Mayor Jim Fouts, Worried Warren Becoming 'Used Car Lot City'

WARREN (WWJ/AP) - Mayor James Fouts thinks there are too many secondhand vehicle businesses in Warren and worries that the Detroit suburb may one day be called "Used Car Lot City."

Fouts said in a release Wednesday that he has directed Warren's zoning and planning departments to "freeze" considerations for used car lots until the city ordinance governing them is thoroughly reviewed.

Fouts says Warren has 55 used car lots which "very often detract from" the city's appearance and that many of the vehicles "look like junk cars."

In a Facebook post, the mayor added that he recently spoke with several people who represent used car lots and requested that they seek another city to host their businesses.

"We are simply OVER SATURATED with used car lots! Sterling Heights is much larger in land area than Warren. Yet we have over 2 times as many used car lots as they do," Fouts wrote. "We have 55 used car lots and Sterling Heights has 21. Enough is enough!"

Fouts also has opposed a state law that allows fireworks saying their use disrupts Warren neighborhoods, and established a National Day of Prayer for all religious faiths at City Hall.

He most recently made headlines when he called for a ban on flamethrowers in the city.

Warren is located just north of Detroit and has a population of about 140,000 people.

TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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