A Fort Worth property owner who says the city sold her contaminated property in 2004 has been given 30 days to repair or demolish two unsafe buildings at 2726 Chesser Boyer Road.
The Building Standards Commission unanimously voted June 22 to declare the front and rear buildings substandard and hazardous, ordering owner Rosa Alfaro to repair or demolish them within 30 days. If Alfaro does not comply, the city may demolish the buildings and place a lien on the property to recover the costs.
The vote was 9-0, with commissioners Jonathan Lyden and Janet Lane absent.
Code officer Franklin Young said the case began Feb. 17, and no active permits are on file. Problems include falling brick siding, a collapsing ceiling and a water-filled pit attracting mosquitoes at the front building. The rear metal building has damaged walls, a partially collapsed roof, hanging fascia, and trash and debris inside. Young said the property is within a mile of three city parks, two public schools and several businesses.
The city has received several complaints from Fort Worth City Council and the Bonnie Brae Neighborhood Association, Young said.
Speaking through an interpreter, Alfaro said she bought the property from the city in 2004 to repair the buildings and rent them. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality notified her and her husband in late 2006 that the property was contaminated, leading her to stop cleanup work.
Alfaro said the city contacted her in 2020 about a program that could help clean the property or allow the city to repurchase it. Several meetings followed, but communication stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The front concrete-block building could be demolished and the rear metal warehouse might be repaired, Alfaro said, but she cannot work on either building until the chemicals are removed.
Commissioner Melondy Doddy thanked Alfaro for continuing to participate in the process.
“Thank you for being a good citizen and coming back and sticking with the process,” Doddy said.
Code officer Oscar Reyes said a city Environmental Quality supervisor once told him the department had offered Alfaro options for assessing or cleaning the property, but he could not explain the details.
The city will consult the environmental agencies and other parties involved before proceeding with demolition, Reyes said, adding he would agree to communicate with Alfaro in Spanish for the process.
Screenshot taken from the Fort Worth Building Standards Commission presentation June 22 showing damaged walls at 2726 Chesser Boyer Road property. (Courtesy | Fort Worth Building Standards Commission)
Other cases:
New Residential
5738 Geddis Ave., case HS-26-79
Code officer Marissa Rodriguez said the case began in 2024, and no permits are on file. Problems include severe roof damage with missing shingles, weakened walls and floors, broken windows, a sinking foundation and electrical damage from wire theft.
Owner Lynda Coleman said repeated vandalism had damaged the property, which she hopes to repair for her grandson. The commission unanimously voted to give her 60 days to repair or demolish the two buildings.
Administrative Civil Penalty Residential
1628 Scenery Hill Road, ACP-26-73
Code officer Jose Zentano said the case began April 26, 2025, and involved items and debris that could shelter rodents and other pests. Carol Peters, president of the West Meadowbrook Neighborhood Association, said the property has been a nuisance since she moved to the neighborhood in 1985. The commission unanimously voted to impose a $4,400 civil penalty, and gave the owner 30 days to clean the property.
Administrative New Cases Residential
1905 S. Jennings Ave., case HS-26-04
Daniel Domingues, who spoke on behalf of the property owner, requested another 90 days to repair the property, saying he had begun foundation and chimney work but lacked money for permits and some equipment. The code officer said little measurable progress had been made, and no permits are on file. The commission unanimously voted to deny the request.
2914 NW 20th St., case HS 26-31
Eric Arteaga, owner of Arteaga Capital LLC, requested another 30 days before demolishing the property. Tenants had twice appealed their eviction before an agreement required them to leave by July 10, and the company had contacted a demolition contractor but had not yet obtained a permit, he said. The commission unanimously voted to grant the extension.
Amendment Administrative Civil Penalty Residential
601 Cooks Lane, case ACP-26-21
Owner Susan Norman said hospital stays and a car wreck delayed her efforts to remove boxes and other items from the property. She already found help and could finish the cleanup within 30 days, Norman said. Although the city opposed more time, the commission unanimously voted to grant the extension and reduce the civil penalty by 15%, from $1,760 to $1,496.
Fort Worth Building Standards Commission
Documenter name: Lisa Gayle Markham
Date: June 22, 2026
Learn more about this meeting by clicking here. For the agenda, click here.
Lisa Gayle Markham is a member of the Fort Worth Report Documenters crew. If you believe anything in this account is inaccurate, please email us at news@fortworthreport.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
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