Sunnyvale commission declares fire‑damaged Catfish Cove building substandard, orders owner to secure property and provide demolition timeline

The Town of Sunnyvale Building Standards Commission voted Aug. 4 to declare the fire‑damaged commercial structure at 3839 North Beltline Road — formerly Catfish Cove — a substandard building and directed the owner to secure the site and present a demolition timetable.

The vote follows an inspection and presentation by the town’s building official, who said the structure suffered significant fire damage in September 2023 and has remained unoccupied and in disrepair since. The building official and the town’s fire marshal recommended that the structure be abated and demolished under the town code’s substandard‑and‑unsafe‑building procedures (Article 4.15).

“...it is the recommendation of the building official and the fire marshal that the structure be appropriately abated and demolished, in accordance with section 4.15,” the building official told commissioners during the public hearing. He said inspectors found warped structural beams, collapsed interior ceilings and extensive interior wall destruction, and that the fire marshal assessed a continued potential for additional collapse that could pose a threat to public health and safety.

The commission’s action requires the property owner to secure the property — described by the commission as a perimeter fence preventing unauthorized entry — within 30 days and to provide a timeline showing demolition will be completed within the following 60 days (90 days total). If the owner does not secure the property and provide the timeline within 30 days, the town said it will proceed immediately with demolition, pay for the work, and place a lien on the property to recover costs.

Commissioners discussed cost estimates presented in staff materials and by contractors. A demolition contractor provided two price scenarios: a baseline demolition estimate of about $33,000 if no hazardous materials are found, and a higher figure — roughly $45,000–$50,000 — that includes full abatement and disposal under National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (EPA guidance). Staff said the contractor’s proposal also includes an environmental survey priced at about $3,500 to test for asbestos or lead‑containing materials; that survey is typically done before final abatement work is priced.

The property owner, who identified his legal name as Twee Q and said he goes by Terry, told the commission the fire and its aftermath have been financially devastating and asked the town to allow the purchaser under contract to proceed with demolition so the site can be redeveloped quickly. Daniel Shin, the listing broker for the property, and David Hahn, who said he is the buyer, told commissioners the buyer has a contractor and preliminary plans for a new 10,000‑square‑foot building and urged the town to allow work to proceed without duplicative studies.

A civil engineer who spoke during the hearing reiterated that an environmental survey will be required before demolition if asbestos is suspected, and said the buyer’s team is prepared to coordinate required studies and demolition under the city’s guidance.

The commission recessed to an executive session under the Texas Open Meetings Act (Texas Government Code, chapter 551, section 551.071) to consult with counsel and returned without action. After the closed session the commission made the declaration and voted to adopt the 30/60/90 schedule. The motion passed with no opposition recorded.

Staff told those present the town will provide the written decision and next steps to the owner and parties on record. The town also said it will pursue recovery of demolition costs through a lien on the property if it performs the demolition.