Port Richey City Council voted 4-1 on Sept. 23 to stay a demolition order for the house at 7717 Pier Road, giving the owner 45 days to submit and obtain final approval of a complete building permit and related materials.

The council’s decision follows a quasi-judicial appeal hearing in which city staff told the council the property owner had submitted partial documentation for permits but not a complete application. Building department staff and the city attorney told the council the online portal showed multiple incomplete permit records for the address and that specific deficiencies remained outstanding.

Why it matters: Council members said they did not want to tear down a home if the structure could be repaired, but they also said the building department must be able to rely on complete permit applications and timely submittals. The stay gives the applicant a fixed deadline and lists the items staff said are required to move the matter to inspection and approval.

Key facts and council action
- The council stayed the demolition order for 45 days and conditioned the stay on submission and approval within that period of: (1) a completed permit application, (2) a site plan showing setbacks and removed items, (3) the outstanding deficiencies cited in building-department deficiency letters, and (4) required SISD/flood documentation for flood-damage repairs. The council recorded the motion as approved; Vice Mayor Chris Mayer voted no, the remaining members present voted yes.
- Staff told the council multiple permit uploads had been made to the city portal but were marked incomplete when reviewed. Building staff said one set of plans submitted had been drawn to the 2020 Florida Building Code cycle and that updated engineered, signed-and-sealed plans were only recently uploaded; other mandatory forms and site documentation were still missing.
- The council heard testimony from the property owner, who said he had retained a consultant and a local building inspector (Kevin Powell) to complete the application. The owner acknowledged delays tied to prior contractors and an engineer’s recent absence.

What council said and next steps
City Manager Andrew Butterfield and building staff urged the applicant to coordinate directly with the building official to ensure the listed deficiencies were addressed. The council made clear the stay requires not just submission but approval within 45 days; staff said the timeframe was feasible if the applicant provides complete, accurate materials promptly.

If the council’s conditions are not satisfied within the 45 days, the demolition order will be revived and the city will proceed under the code provisions that govern unsafe or substandard structures. Council did not set a later extension during the meeting.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to stay demolition of 7717 Pier Road for 45 days (conditions: completed application, site plan, deficiency corrections, SISD/flood packet): Approved 4-1 (Yes: John Mayer Hoover, Robert Hubbard, Lisa Burke, Christine Sullivan; No: Chris Mayer).

Ending: The building official will notify the applicant and council in writing of the stay conditions and the 45-day deadline. Council members said they expect staff to report back if the application is approved or if further enforcement action is required.