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‘Drug house’ demolition relieves neighborhood
By Stephanie Flemmons, Staff Writer
The first home demolition this year occurred Tuesday in the 1200 block of Quill Drive and neighbors are relieved the drug house is gone.
Neighbors said they have seen drug trafficking and a prostitution ring occurring in the home for many years.
Danny Way, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood for 34 years, said they have been fighting for the city to turn the property around since 2002.
Way said the traffic in and out of the house was rift-raft and the owners would not maintain it properly.
“The daughter, Kathy, would allow anybody to live there that would give her a few bucks for cigarettes,” Way said. “A guy lived there for awhile that was pimping out two girls.”
Selso Mata, chief building inspector, said due to the amount of complaints from neighbors and the house falling out of the code compliance, the city had no choice but to tear it down.
“It became an eyesore and a problem for the neighbors,” Mata said. “Neighbors complained that illegal activity was apparent. They didn’t feel safe.”
Way said one of the males that lived in the house admitted to burglarizing five houses in the neighborhood.
“He actually went and apologized to one of the owners whose house he robbed,” Way said. “He then got arrested for having a meth lab in his room.”
An adjacent neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous, said she has lived in the neighborhood since 1966 and had witnessed a lot.
“There were tough characters coming in and out of the house,” she said. “We suspected they were smoking the ‘funny cigarettes.’”
Jerry Minton, Plano Police Department spokesperson, said there were 34 police calls to the location in the past five years.
Minton did not confirm any prostitution arrest, but said officers made some drug and warrant arrest in this timeframe.
Mata said the Building Inspection Commission has battled this case for five years. He said they had one person interested in refurbishing the house, but it fell through.
Ultimately, the Building Commission’s board found the house to be unsafe under many conditions.
He said the plumbing wasn’t operable and the showers were not capable of containing water. The house was used for dwelling purposes due to inadequate maintenance.
“The decay was unsanitary,” Mata said. “It was unfit for human habitation and could cause sickness or disease.”
Mata said rodents were visible on the premises and furniture in the yard posed as a breeding place for them.
“It was a substandard home and fell into disrepair,” Mata said. “They didn’t keep the home up to neighborhood standards.”
Way said the owners had dogs they never let outside, and there was fecal matter throughout the house.
“If you wanted to go into the home, you’d have to wear a gas mask,” Way said. “It needed to be torn down.”
Way and other neighbors said they are happy the battle is over and the house is gone.
Mata said the use of the property is unknown at this time.
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