AUBURN HILLS — After a nearly two-year battle waged by pro-life groups to keep Planned Parenthood from opening an abortion clinic in Auburn Hills, plans for the project have been abandoned and the building been put up for lease.

MCC applauds abortion bill The Michigan Catholic Conference gave its approval June 13 to a Michigan House-passed bill designed to limit abortion clinic abuses and protect the health and safety of women. House Bill 5711 would make it illegal to coerce a woman into having an abortion and require abortion clinics to follow new standards for licensing and health compliance after it was revealed only four of the state’s 32 clinics are licensed. The MCC said as many as two in three women who have abortions are coerced into doing so, and cheered the legislation’s passing. The bill would also provide for the humane disposal of fetal remains and prohibit doctors from prescribing abortifacient drugs via webcam. For a video statement from the MCC, visit www.micatholicconference.org/public-policy/.

Citizens for a Pro-Life Society and other pro-life groups cheered the resolution to the conflict over the building at 1625 N. Opdyke Road, which was the subject of a lawsuit between Planned Parenthood and the owner of an adjacent property on which sits a Comfort Inn and Suites.

“From the very start, the specific goal of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society was to prevent Planned Parenthood from opening an abortion clinic in the Opdyke Road building,” said a release from the group.

“This was the specific task we had before us, and we prevailed,” said Monica Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society. “That Planned Parenthood, one of the largest abortion providers in Michigan, would agree not to perform abortions in this 17,000-square-foot building is a huge victory for the right-to-life cause.”

The owners of the Comfort Inn property claimed a deed restriction restricted use of the building owned by Planned Parenthood to retail, restaurant or office use only, which led to a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood. When a judge ruled earlier this year that Planned Parenthood had a right to use the building as a medical office, the owners of the Comfort Inn property appealed.

Then, Planned Parenthood last week unexpectedly withdrew its lawsuit and signed a new deed agreement with Comfort Inn that allows the building to be used for medical offices, but that “clinics providing abortion services will not be permitted.”

Citizens for a Pro-Life Society said the new agreement probably was signed so Planned Parenthood could put the building up for sale, “which appears to be exactly what has happened,” said its release.

The pro-life group has held several vigils and rallies in opposition to the Auburn Hills clinic, and will hold a prayer vigil of thanksgiving in July in front of the building.
There’s still a risk Planned Parenthood will try to set up another clinic elsewhere, Miller said, a possibility that leaves little time for complacency.

“Believe me, we will be vigilant and watch Planned Parenthood’s future developments,” Miller said. “We will be watching them very carefully — as it is possible they will try and erect this abortion center someplace else. And that will be a said day.”

But, she said, the victory over the Auburn Hills facility is still cause for giving glory to God.

“Last October we prayed at a vigil in Pontiac: ‘God spare us’ and perhaps He has done so,” she said.