Board declares unpermitted Delano Street construction a public nuisance; owner ordered to demolish or appeal
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Summary
Abilene board found a new single-family structure at 1413 Delano Street was built without proper permits and setback compliance and ordered the owner to demolish or appeal after noting no contact since an immigration-related arrest.
The Abilene Board of Building Standards on March 5 declared the structure at 1413 Delano Street a public nuisance and ordered the owner to demolish or appeal within 30 days after staff concluded repairs or legal compliance were unreasonable.
Property maintenance inspector Robert Marsh told the board the structure was new construction carried out without permits and that the owner failed to meet a side setback requirement (measured at 35 inches versus the 6-foot requirement). Inspectors observed multiple stop-work notices and a denied permit application in 2023; the permit issued in June 2024 later expired in February 2025 and only a driveway approach inspection was completed.
Marsh said staff had tried all available means to contact owner Ulysses Flores, including a friend and translator, and that Flores had not responded since an arrest in September 2024. The staff recommendation was to declare the property a nuisance, find repair unreasonable, and order demolition or appeal to district court within 30 days.
No members of the public addressed the board on the case. Turner moved to accept the staff recommendation; McNeil seconded. The board voted unanimously to declare the property a nuisance and to order demolition or appeal within 30 days.
The order will allow the city to proceed with demolition if the owner does not appeal or otherwise rectify the legal and zoning deficiencies noted by staff.