Owner allowed to keep Jester Boulevard slab but must fence it under new commission order

The Building and Standards Commission on Oct. 8 adopted a superseding order requiring the owner of a previously demolished, fire‑damaged house at 7613 Jester Boulevard to obtain permits and fence the concrete slab left after demolition.

City investigator Farrah Presley said the March 2023 commission order required demolition; the owner subsequently demolished the structure (completed July 11, 2025) and left the slab at the owner’s request. Presley said the city and owner had agreed to leave the slab if it was structurally sound, but that, because the slab creates an attractive nuisance and the slab height is significant in places, a fence is necessary to keep the public out until further action.

The commission admitted staff exhibits, including photos showing the slab and stacked exterior stone salvaged from the structure. Staff recommended the order supersede the prior BSC order and require that within 30 days the owner finalize permits and fence the slab, then request inspections from Austin Development Services to verify compliance. If the owner fails to comply, the usual enforcement remedies apply.

The property representative confirmed that engineering reports and slab testing had been provided to the city and that, so long as the owner maintains the fencing and the site, the slab could remain in place until redevelopment occurs. The commission voted 7–0 to adopt staff’s findings and the recommended superseding order.

The order requires final permits and fencing within 30 days and inspection verification by Austin Development Services; penalties and interest were not newly assessed in this hearing but standard enforcement provisions apply if the owner does not meet the order’s requirements.