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Council denies appeal; demolition of 613–619 Watts Ave. upheld
Summary
After neighborhood advocates and the owner spoke, the council denied an appeal by David Herman and upheld the city’s authorization to demolish long-blighted properties at 613–619 Watts Avenue.
The City Council denied an appeal by property owner David Herman and authorized demolition of the structures at 613 through 619 Watts Avenue. The owner said he had financed and attempted repairs and that the concrete-block buildings were not falling down; neighborhood speakers and city inspectors described a long-standing pattern of nuisance at the site and urged demolition to remove blight.
Why it matters: The properties have a long nuisance history in Centennial Hill and near Alabama State University, and neighborhood advocates said dilapidated buildings were being used as “trap houses” tied to drug activity. City inspection records cited 31 nuisance cases at the location between 2009 and 2025.
Hearing summary Owner David Herman said he had financed repairs and that the buildings had new roofs in places. City inspectors and councilmembers said the property has a 16-year history of nuisance complaints and that neighborhood safety and revitalization efforts required action.
Council action After receiving testimony, Councilmember Johnson moved to deny the owner’s appeal; the motion passed and the demolition authorization was upheld. The clerk recorded the vote as unanimous.
Ending Council staff said demolition would proceed under the municipal code authorizing removal of unsafe or nuisance structures; no timeline for demolition was given in the meeting record.
