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Council ratifies public health nuisance at Northstar Multifamily; tenants reported mold and sewage
Summary
After staff presented recurring sewage overflows and West Nile mosquito detections at 2450 West Lucas Drive, the council ratified a public-health-nuisance finding and ordered the property owner to abate violations within 10 days; staff said the city may abate if the owner does not act and relocation of tenants could become necessary.
The Beaumont City Council ratified a public-health-nuisance finding for the Northstar Multifamily property at 2450 West Lucas Drive after health staff presented evidence of repeated sewage overflows, stagnant water conducive to mosquitoes and other unresolved maintenance failures.
Health director Kenneth Coleman told the council the property was first declared a public-health nuisance in December 2025 and, after follow-up, the property again failed reinspection on June 24. Coleman highlighted stagnant water and sewer overflow as ongoing issues and said Jefferson County vector control reported pools of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile virus in the area.
A resident who lives adjacent to the complex, Kevin Foster, testified that sewage has leaked into parking areas and into his apartment, causing saturated carpet, mold and health symptoms: “The sewage is leaking over into the parking lot... the carpet has been saturated for over a month now... there's mold, and I haven't been able to stay in my place for, like, the past couple of weeks,” he told council.
Council members asked what would happen to occupants if the building is not brought into compliance. Staff said the health department would attempt to work with the owner, but if violations are not abated in 10 days staff could refer the matter to city legal and the city could abate the property. The city attorney explained that condemnation would legally prevent occupancy and could require relocation: “Essentially, it's a constructive eviction. Those individuals will need to be relocated,” the official said, while also noting the city’s ability to assist is limited and relocation is often handled through civil remedies or court orders.
Council voted to adopt an ordinance finding and ratifying the health director’s determination and ordered the owner to abate the public-health nuisances within 10 days; staff said if the owner does not comply the city may abate the property without further notice. Officials said they will monitor the situation and work with housing staff to support tenants where feasible, but the city said it does not have authority to provide vouchers or directly pay relocation expenses absent other legal authority.
The council also requested staff monitor the property and coordinate with housing and legal staff on next steps should the owner fail to take action.
