The Levelland City Council declared five properties in Levelland dangerous, unfit for acceptable living conditions, and as public nuisances following a public hearing at its April 20 meeting.
The council reviewed information on the properties and ordered the structures to be abated through demolition within a specified timeframe under the city’s housing standards process. The properties were identified through legal descriptions associated with residential lots within the city, including multiple single-family properties and one mobile home property.
The action followed the city’s housing standards process, which allows properties to be inspected and, if necessary, brought before the Housing Standards Commission and City Council for a public hearing before enforcement action is taken.
Eli Colunga, the building official for the Inspections Department, said properties are evaluated under the city code that defines unsafe housing conditions. “Substandard, uninhabitable, and/or dangerous structures, dwellings, or buildings are addressed in accordance with the City of Levelland Code of Ordinances Article 3.700 Housing Standards,” Colunga said. “If an order is given as a result of the public hearings before the Housing Standards Commission and City Council, property owners are given 30-90 days to comply.”
Once the council issues an order following a public hearing, property owners are required to either correct violations or complete demolition within that set timeframe.
In cases where owners choose to demolish structures without going through the full hearing process, permits may allow additional time to complete the work.
“If the owner is selfdemolishing without having gone through the process of public hearings before the Housing Standards Commission and City Council, the permit allows for 90 days to complete,” Colunga said.
During demolition activity, residents near affected properties may notice contractors working during daylight hours, along with roll-off containers placed on site for debris removal.
“Nearby residents can expect roll-off containers to be placed on the property, and contractors working during the daylight hours to demolish and dispose of the substandard structure(s) in the roll-offs until the demolition is complete,” Colunga said.
City officials said demolition work is typically completed by property owners or private contractors rather than the city itself. So far this year, no city-funded demolition projects have been completed.
“The demolitions that are being done currently are the owners themselves or contractors the owners have hired. Funding for demolitions are budgeted for the fiscal year,” Colunga said. After demolition, property owners remain responsible for maintaining the vacant lots in accordance with city code requirements. Properties are still required to be maintained by the property owners.
City officials said the process is intended to address unsafe or deteriorating structures while allowing property owners time to comply before enforcement actions are finalized.