San Antonio building board orders demolitions, gives repair deadlines for multiple unsafe homes

The City of San Antonio Building Standards Board on June 12 reviewed nine dangerous-structure cases and voted to demolish four properties, require repairs for one, and secure and vacate others after code officers, police and neighbors described fire damage, structural collapse and repeated vagrant activity.

Board Chair Dwayne Nelson opened the hearing and allowed code enforcement staff, police and neighborhood representatives to present evidence for each case. After hearing testimony and reviewing photographs, the board voted on each property, ordering demolition where staff recommended it and imposing repair timelines and monitoring where repair was feasible.

Why it matters: The board’s orders remove or require repair of structures the city says are hazardous to public health and safety, and in several cases the properties sit within 1,000 feet of schools or day-care centers. The actions will lead to demolition, abatement and, in some cases, continued monitoring by code officers and San Antonio police.

Most consequential actions and key evidence

- 9530 Wikiup Street: Staff recommended demolition of the accessory structure and repair of the main house after a DART (Dangerous Assessment Response Team) inspection documented broken windows, rotted fascia, exposed wiring, missing utilities and interior conditions creating egress hazards. The DART report and SAPD testimony referenced repeated calls and that the rear accessory had been occupied at times. The board found the property a public nuisance and ordered demolition of the accessory and that the property be vacated and secured; the motion carried unanimously.

- 310 East Drexel Avenue: Code officers and multiple SAPD units described narcotics activity, prostitution and at least 71 calls for service over a two-year period, including drug paraphernalia and people living in an unpermitted addition. Neighbors submitted letters describing ongoing drug use, vandalism and threats. Staff recommended demolition; the board voted to vacate, secure and demolish the building within 30 days. A roll-call vote recorded Dwayne Nelson, Fred Andes, Joelle Solis, Dr. Linda Lopez Rodriguez and George Grimes Jr. voting aye, 5-0.

- 5618 Summerfest Drive: Owner Nick Griego and a MidFirst Bank attorney spoke. Staff documented repeated break-ins, multiple fires and smoke damage, missing windows, tarps on the roof and unsecured openings. The board determined the structure can be repaired and ordered the owner to complete repairs within 30 days, obtain required permits and provide the code officer with a status update every 15 days; the board added the permit requirement by amendment. Roll-call vote: unanimous 5-0.

- 1035 West Malone Avenue: Neighbors and code staff described a November–December 2023 fire, extensive smoke and structural damage, and repeated attempts by trespassers to enter boarded openings. The board found repair infeasible and ordered demolition within 30 days; the motion carried unanimously.

- 159 Day Road: Staff described a severely rotted post-and-beam foundation, bowing roof system, missing siding and interior failures. The board found repairs infeasible and ordered demolition within 30 days; the motion carried unanimously.

- 5339 El Paso Street: Staff documented exposed framing, missing siding covered only with tarps, interior areas used by vagrants and structural failures. The board ordered demolition of main and accessory structures within 30 days, with the property to remain vacated, secured, cut/cleaned and utilities to remain disconnected; the motion passed unanimously.

Board process and public input: For several cases staff executed administrative warrants to obtain photographs and DART inspections involved multiple departments, including Neighborhood and Housing Services’ DART family support workers and San Antonio Police Department officers. Public comments and written statements were read into the record for several properties, notably 310 East Drexel, where multiple neighbors described frequent criminal activity and personal safety concerns.

What the orders require next: Demolition orders carry a 30-day timeline from issuance. For properties ordered repaired the board required permits and periodic updates to code staff; for one property the owner requested six months to a year and the board limited its order to 30 days for repairs while requiring 15-day updates and permit submission.

Quotes: "The property located at 9530 Wikiup is a public nuisance… I move that the property be demolished within 30 days," a board member said when moving the motion on that case. Officer Joe Pena of SAPD testified that the 9530 site had "24 calls within the last 2 year time frame" prior to the DART inspection and that the location had been a "problem location" for vagrant activity.

The board adjourned after the last case and a staff note that one reappointment to the board was on the city council docket.