Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Demolition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board finds 319 Ashland Drive unsafe after fire damage, orders demolition within 30 days
Summary
City staff described fire- and water-damaged conditions at 319 Ashland Drive and recommended demolition; the board voted to order demolition within 30 days. The homeowner said she wants to preserve or transfer the property but faces title and financial hurdles.
The Building Standards Board on Jan. 23 found the residential structure and accessory building at 319 Ashland Drive to be dangerous and ordered demolition within 30 days, after staff presented fire- and water-damage evidence and the property contact described title and financial constraints.
Sergio Quintanilla, dangerous premises officer for the City of San Antonio Development Services Department, told the board the house sustained significant fire damage and interior smoke damage, the rear patio cover was collapsing, and debris filled interior rooms. "This is a single story residential structure in neglected condition. The structure sustained significant fire damage," Quintanilla said. He added that the interior had no walking surface due to accumulated debris and that the accessory structure was deteriorated and lacking weatherproofing.
Elizabeth Martin, who identified herself as the daughter of the deceased owner and said she holds a warranty deed, told the board she had lived at the property in the past and that neighbors were interested in buying it. "I would like to keep it," Martin said, but she said she lacked money to make repairs and that the deed on county records still reflected her deceased parent.
Quintanilla presented a timeline of inspection and notice: initial inspection Nov. 29, 2023; original notice mailed Dec. 11, 2023; conference March 3, 2024; and BSB hearing notices mailed and posted in January 2025. He said no engineer report, scope of work, letter of credit or permits were on file as of the hearing.
A board member moved to find the property a public nuisance under City Code Chapter 6, Article 8, Section 6-157, to find specific subsections of Section 6-156 applicable to the main and accessory structures, and to order demolition within 30 days. The motion was seconded, and the board announced the motion carried; the transcript does not include a roll-call vote tally.
Board members asked whether the city has programs to assist with clearing title or otherwise help the homeowner; city legal counsel and staff said changing county appraisal or deed records is a matter for the property owner to pursue with Bexar County and that the board’s role was limited to addressing the dangerous condition. Quintanilla reiterated that staff’s recommendation was demolition because the structure presented a threat to life, health, and safety under the code.
The board’s order requires the owner to coordinate with Development Services for demolition; the record does not specify funding or assistance for repair or title issues discussed by the homeowner.
