Hearing held on Stamford condemnation order for lower-level unit at 309 Thunderhill Drive

An administrative hearing on April 22, 2025, reviewed the Stamford Department of Health and Human Services’ condemnation order for a lower-level living space at 309 Thunderhill Drive, docket number 241029EN. The city offered exhibits and the department’s housing inspector testified the unit fails light, ventilation and egress requirements and that short-term rental listings showed the space was being offered for rent.

Pamela Solis, an inspector II for the Stamford Department of Health and Human Services, testified that she inspected the property on Sept. 30, 2024, and that the room subject to the order is ‘‘underground. It’s more than 50% underground,’’ which under the city and state housing codes classifies the space as a cellar rather than a basement. Solis said she found no windows, no vents to the outside and no second means of egress that leads directly outdoors for the bedroom area. When asked whether the space complies with housing codes, she answered, ‘‘No.’’ When asked whether the city’s condemnation order was justified, she replied, ‘‘Yes.’’

Why this matters: The hearing determines whether the department may legally condemn the space as unfit for habitation. Condemnation affects the property owner’s ability to rent the space and could require structural or code-compliant changes to reestablish lawful occupancy.

Solis described the residence as a two-story…