Board orders demolition of condemned house at 826 Ballenger Street

The Abilene Board of Building Standards on Aug. 5 unanimously found the house at 826 Ballenger Street to be a public nuisance and ordered the owner to demolish the structure or appeal the decision to district court within 30 calendar days.

Ricky Wright, the property maintenance inspector, told the board the house had been gutted, utilities inactive since Oct. 29, 2024, and that inspections and permit attempts had failed because required floodplain review documents were not submitted. "The staff recommendation is to find that the property is a public nuisance and that it is a hazard to the public health, safety, and welfare, and repair of the structure would be unreasonable," Wright said. The board first voted to accept the staff recommendation and then passed the demolition order in follow-up motions.

The motions passed on roll call with each member recorded as voting yes: Tankersley, McNeil, Turner, Duncan and McBrayer. The board advised the owner that if no appeal is filed within 30 days the city may demolish the structure and bill the owner.

The owner listed in staff materials was Sky Blue Avenue LLC. The record shows a condemnation affidavit recorded on Dec. 18, 2025, and a stop-work order issued after an unpermitted renovation. The board did not receive substantive public comment on this case at the hearing.