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Southlake resident urges enforcement after unpermitted construction, tree removal at Cross Timber Hills home
Summary
A neighbor told council that extensive work including tree removal and interior demolition at an adjacent home proceeded without permits and that code enforcement responses were delayed; she asked the city to pursue fines and confirmed a permit application was later submitted.
A Southlake resident on Tuesday told the City Council that a nearby property owner conducted demolition and removed trees without required city permits, and she asked the council to ensure the city enforces its code and issues fines where permitted.
Gigi Landy of 1342 Forest Lane said she and other neighbors first noticed work in July and that a contractor cut down 27 trees on the property between July 8 and July 25. City staff subsequently stopped work on July 25 after neighbors complained and an inspector responded, Landy said.
"They also did demolition on the interior of the house without any licensed contractors, without permits," Landy told the council during the public-forum portion of the meeting.
Landy said she and two neighbors met with code staff on Aug. 6 to review the file; staff told them a permit application had been started online July 13 but was incomplete and that the work visible at the site was out of compliance. She said a permit application was filed again on Aug. 17.
Landy asked the council to consider enforcing the city's fines, which she said could amount to about $27,000 under the city's ordinance for the unauthorized tree removal and unpermitted work. She said she was impressed with a follow-up call she received from Senior Code official Chuck Taggart and asked for a further response from the city's code and building departments.
City staff did not take immediate action during the public comment. The council acknowledged the report and the staff follow-up Landy described; later in the meeting the council moved through its agenda without additional action on the complaint beyond the staff update recorded earlier.
Ending: Landy asked that the city's code and building departments follow up on the complaint and apply available fines; the transcript records that the city received a permit application after the public complaints and that staff had inspected and cited the matter earlier in July.
