The Business, Housing and Zoning Committee on Dec. 2 amended the city's wrecking (demolition) permit ordinance to strengthen public notice and allow site‑specific environmental mitigation when hazardous materials or permits are present.

CPED development services inspector Steve Poore said the changes respond to events this year where nearby residents were not notified before demolition began at industrial sites with contamination concerns. The amendments expand notice from immediate adjacent property owners to property owners within 350 feet of a subject property and require the Health Department to review sites that may need mitigation plans.

"We wanna give better notice to residents," Poore said, describing the new 350‑foot mailing requirement and the plan to partner with the Health Department to identify sites requiring extra review. The ordinance also contains a clause to halt demolition operations when winds exceed 15 miles per hour to reduce the risk of dispersing dust or contaminants.

Council Member Chavez said the Smith Foundry case motivated the change and praised staff and community collaboration in drafting the amendment. Council Member Cashman asked whether the change would apply to every demolition; Poore said it could affect any wrecking permit depending on site history, but emergency demolitions for fire or life‑safety reasons would be exempt.

The committee approved the ordinance amendment. Staff and council members said penalties for failing to obtain a wrecking permit were not changed in this amendment, though enforcement and fines remain available and could be revisited in future work.

Why it matters: The ordinance increases transparency before demolition and gives staff tools to require environmental mitigation plans for sites with known contamination or hazardous permits — a response to prior community harm claims.

What’s next: CPED will coordinate with the Health Department and continue monitoring enforcement and potential penalties related to illegal demolitions.