By Will Pafford, Staff Writer

A West Lake Hills house was declared a threat to health and safety as the City Council authorized officials to board up the home.

 

The Council decided the house at 344 Cortona Drive should be secured and the surrounding property cleaned. 

City Administrator Robert Wood said he originally thought the house was foreclosed on because no one had worked on the house, which is still under construction, in about a year. 

Wood said the city sent letters to the property owners, Robert and Kimberly Green, and any other interested party, including the mortgage company and anyone who had a lien on the property, but did not hear back from anyone until almost a month later. 

Wood finally did contact the owner, however. 

Wood showed the Council pictures from the property, which does not have a front door and is completely open. 

“I’m surprised there aren’t homeless people living in there,” he       said. 

Assistant City Attorney Roger Gordon said the city should board up the entrances to the house and clean up the property. 

“We have to secure the property,” he said. 

Wood said he spoke with some contractors who estimated the cost would be between $5,000 and $7,000 to clean up and secure the site. 

Councilwoman Cindy Probst said she knows people who could do the job for much less.

“I definitely have people who would do it for half that,” she said. 

The Council approved the abatement of the property unanimously. 

The property is valued at $910,548, according to the Travis County Appraisal District Web site.