'Eyesore' zone deemed hazardous piles up trash after building illegally demolished in SW Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For months, building debris has piled up where a former business once stood on West Bellfort Avenue.

Viewers reached out to ABC13 because they said it's a hazard for those who live near the area.

According to neighbors, the site was once home to an abandoned business before it was demolished in November, and now all of the debris has been sitting out in the open for months.

"An eye sore, of course, a hazard," community member Elizabeth Lutz said. "The construction vehicles stayed there for a couple of days, so we thought maybe the trash bins were going to come and they were going to clean it up, but that never happened."

If you've driven along West Bellfort Avenue and South Post Oak Frontage Road lately, you may have noticed the piles of debris from what used to be a daiquiri business.

Lutz and other neighbors told ABC13 this has become a safety concern. At the site, ABC13 crews could see long pieces of rebar, broken glass, pieces of concrete, and trash.

The debris site is also in the heart of a school zone.

"There are other kids who walk to the middle school down the street, and so it's very likely that they can get hurt," Lutz said.

There's no fencing around the debris sight, and no cleanup has happened since it was initially demolished.

Eyewitness News has learned through city representatives that the property owners demolished the building illegally.

"There were absolutely no permits issued for demolition of this property," Councilwoman Abbie Kaman said.

Kaman said the property has now been cited multiple times for not following the law.

The Harris County Appraisal District lists Kormex Foods as the owner of the site.

However, Public Works representatives said through their investigation, they have found that Kormex Foods no longer owns this property.

Public Works is working to find out who the property owner is, why the building was demolished, and who did it.

"If there's anything we can do on the city side to get some fencing up. Again, it's the property owner's responsibility, and that's why citations are issued when that doesn't happen, but at this point, we need to see some type of resolution," Kaman said.

Kaman said she's working with Public Works and the Department of Neighborhoods to put fences up as soon as possible.

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