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Owner says repairs are underway as commission orders demolition for accessory buildings at 725 Ruper Street
Summary
At the April 9 meeting the commission ordered repair of the main building at 725 Ruper Street within 90 days and demolition of two accessory structures within 30 days; owner José Guajardo told members he has retained an engineer and contractor but staff said required anchoring and permits were not documented.
SAN ANTONIO — The Building Standards Commission on April 9 ordered repairs to the principal structure at 725 Ruper Street within 90 days and directed that two accessory structures on the same property be demolished within 30 days, after staff said the property is not habitable and shows widespread water and structural damage.
Officer Santana, the structures official, presented photos showing separation between an original building and an addition, rotted floors and exposed framing, and told the commission the property ‘‘is not habitable’’ and recommended demolition of the accessories. Staff cited the municipal code (Chapter 6, Article 8, Section 156 and enumerated subsections) when urging enforcement.
Owner José Guajardo spoke at the hearing and asked for time to complete repairs. He said he was ill for a period, has hired an engineer and contractor, and had begun temporary stabilizing work. ‘‘Yo me tomé mi equipo para hacer esto... y tengo al ingeniero que está trabajando...’’ he told the commission, and showed plans and a financial-responsibility letter on the meeting screen.
Commissioners pressed the owner and staff about whether concrete anchoring for the levelling work had been completed and whether permits were issued before repairs began. Staff said some work appeared to have started without final permits and that the photos in the record did not show completed anchoring. After discussion the chair moved to require repair of the main structure within 90 days and demolition of accessory structures No.1 and No.2 within 30 days; the motion passed by recorded roll call.
The commission directed staff to notify the owner of the order, confirm deadlines, and provide guidance on the paperwork needed to demonstrate compliance. If the owner fails to meet the deadline, staff indicated enforcement options could follow at a subsequent hearing.
What’s next: Staff will follow up with the owner and report progress to the commission; the owner may return with engineered plans and permitted work to show compliance before the repair deadline.
