Bastrop council declares 113–115 South Franklin Street a public emergency, authorizes condemnation

The Bastrop City Council voted to declare 113 and 115 South Franklin Street a public emergency and authorized immediate condemnation and potential demolition after a building inspector found the fire-damaged brick structure unsafe and the listed owner failed to respond to notices.

Council members and witnesses told the council the property — listed to an owner named Alethia and linked in the record to a relative convicted of arson — has suffered roof collapse, falling brick and rodent incursions that threaten adjacent businesses and sidewalks. “We do have a building inspector report that says that this building does need to be condemned as a dangerous” building, Mayor Steve Juror said during the meeting.

The vote came after the city attorney and mayor described the legal options available under the city’s code, including ordering repairs, condemning the property or demolishing it. Juror said the city had posted notice on the property and mailed required notices to the registered owner; he also said an insurance claim tied to the fire had been denied. “This building was purchased back in 2000 and late, 2020…shortly thereafter the fire ensued,” Juror said.

Resident Dave Dobbs told the council that the damaged structure had caused rodents and maintenance problems in neighboring buildings and that the shared brick party walls made structural collapse a risk for adjacent properties. “When one of the buildings are in disrepair, it immediately starts affecting the buildings on the other side,” Dobbs said.

Council members discussed what the city could immediately authorize. Officials said short-term measures — securing loose bricks or shoring areas that present immediate danger — could be taken at once, and that a formal condemnation order would allow the city to proceed with broader demolition or repairs. The mayor said the owner could still perform the demolition themselves before the city acts but would be required to reimburse the city for any costs the city avoided by the owner’s work.

Mayor Juror made the motion to declare a public emergency and deem the property a dangerous building; the council approved the motion and instructed that the signed order be registered in the court records and mailed to the owner so city action could proceed. The meeting record did not include an individual roll-call tally of votes; the clerk stated the order would be filed and recorded.

Council members also raised a related aesthetic concern about the nearby Eastside School building and asked staff to place that item on a future meeting agenda for possible temporary tarping or remediation. The council said it would follow the statutory code limits on how long temporary measures could remain in place.

Next steps set by the council: the mayor will sign the condemnation order, the city will register it with the court, and the city may take immediate remedial action to protect public safety. If the owner completes demolition or repairs before the city acts, the owner may be responsible for certain payments to the city, according to the mayor’s description of the process.

No specific dollar amounts for demolition or repair costs were offered at the meeting, and the record did not specify a vote tally.