Cedar Falls council declares 315 E. Dunkerton Road a public nuisance, orders phased abatement

The City of Cedar Falls declared 315 East Dunkerton Road a public nuisance and ordered the owner to complete abatement in three 30-day phases or face city-initiated demolition at the owner’s expense, the City Council voted Aug. 4.

Jamie Castle presented the city’s findings to the council after a July 10 condemnation-committee inspection. Castle said the property has a long history of complaints and prior condemnation action in November 2021 and that staff found “minimal to no change” in early 2025 inspections. He described piles of trash and stored interior items outdoors, overgrown grass exceeding 8 inches, multiple accessory buildings filled with items — one with a garage door that likely cannot close — and interior conditions including kitchen plumbing that appeared not functional and piled household items. Animal feces were observed inside; animal control did not remove the animals because food and water were present.

Castle recommended a three-step schedule: by Sept. 4 (30 days) the interior of the home must be brought to a clean and sanitary condition; if met, an additional 30 days will be allowed to clean accessory buildings; if those are met, a final 30 days will be allowed to clean the exterior. If the first or second deadline is not met staff will proceed with demolition under Cedar Falls Code of Ordinances §7‑20(a)(15). If the third deadline is unmet after the others, the city will pursue citation for exterior cleanup.

The property owner, Diana Foote, spoke to the council. She said the house is her home and sanctuary, that she has lived there her whole life, and that the situation has caused her stress and depression following her mother’s death. Foote said she wanted to continue working with the city and had nowhere else to go if the house were condemned.

Fire Chief Slondex told council members that, based on his inspection, responding to a fire or even a medical call at the property would be “extremely difficult” because of obstructed egress and the volume of combustible items, and that operations would likely be defensive in many scenarios.

Councilors discussed volunteer assistance; one councilor noted previous volunteer help and offered to coordinate neighborhood volunteers. The council then voted unanimously on both actions: the resolution declaring the structure a nuisance and the separate resolution ordering abatement in three phases. The clerk recorded “all members voting aye.”

Councilors asked staff to check on homelessness services if demolition later renders the resident homeless; staff responded there were no immediate services because the owner was not currently homeless but that agencies might be available if circumstances changed.

Next steps: staff will monitor compliance with the deadlines specified in the abatement resolution; failure to comply will trigger the procedures Castle described.