Board orders demolition of main structure at 2781 West Jet Road; owner vows legal fight, board seeks engineer review for multi‑story tower

The San Antonio Building Standards Board on Feb. 12 voted to demolish the main structure at 2781 West Jet Road, citing extensive fire and water damage and public‑safety risks that staff said made the building “not feasible to repair.” The board’s roll‑call vote on the main structure was 6–0, and the order requires demolition within 30 days and termination of utilities.

The case drew a lengthy public exchange. Paul Burgess, a civil‑rights attorney who said he was speaking as a private citizen, argued the board risked overreach and urged members to consider federal protections for artwork and property‑rights limits on demolition. “The constitutional violations are atrocious,” Burgess said, adding that “this junk becomes art” and warning against what he called unequal enforcement. Owner Philip M. Ross also addressed the board, describing decades of work on the property and saying he had previously received engineering approvals; Ross said he planned repairs but that recent permitting flags had hampered work. “I’m not going to talk over you, but I will see you in court,” Ross said, defending his right to preserve the site.

City staff presented a different view. Stephanie Sanchez, the dangerous‑premises officer for Development Services, walked the board through drone photos and inspection notes showing collapsed roofing, missing siding, charred framing and a multi‑story accessory “tower” composed of telephone poles, metal frames and pallets. Staff noted that portions of the site sit within an extended floodplain and that CPS confirmed two active electric meters at the property. Fire and building officials told the board they could not safely send first responders onto the tower without further engineering verification.

The board divided the case into three formal actions. For the main residence, members approved demolition and utility termination (6–0). For accessory structure #2 (a cluster of utility posts and an exposed electrical panel), the board likewise ordered demolition and disconnection of electrical service (6–0). For accessory structure #1 — the multistory, improvised tower — the board first tied on a motion and later, after recalling staff and the fire chief, voted to reset that item and require that the owner provide a current, sealed and stamped engineer’s report and a repair plan within 30 days; utilities to accessory #1 are to be cut pending that submittal. That motion passed 5–1, with one member voting no.

Chief building inspector Roland Resendiz and Robert Westbrook of the Fire Department told the board the structure shows welding, rusted metal, missing structural members and other signs that a professional engineer must evaluate. “We cannot put our guys in harm’s way knowing that it was not built to any standard we are aware of,” Westbrook said when asked whether firefighters would climb on the tower in an emergency.

Board staff directed the owner to coordinate with the code officer about how to submit the required documents and the next steps for enforcement and abatement. The board’s orders are administrative and may be appealed; the owner said he intends to pursue legal remedies if the board proceeds with demolition.