Trinidad to Demolish Condemned House at 508 University After Safety Concerns

City Attorney Les Downs told the Trinidad city council at its Mar. 4 meeting that 508 University Ave. is slated for demolition. Downs said, “508 University (Ave.) is slated for demolition and it is my understanding that we have a notice to proceed, a contractor has been hired and that is going to be proceeding.”

Downs and City Manager Tara Marshall told the council the removal follows months of work and legal steps. The officials said the effort toward “evading the public nuisance” had been in the works for several months to nearly a year, and involved court action. Downs added the specific demolition timeframe was unknown but would be “soon.”

Neighbors at the council meeting repeatedly described the house as a long-troubled, condemned residential property tied to repeated public safety complaints. A letter read on behalf of a nearby resident said the city “condemned the property and boarded it up,” yet the letter alleged “multiple squatters and drug addicts are living” there still and recounted an incident in which squatters’ dogs jumped a fence and attacked the neighbor’s dog while her grandmother watched from the yard.

The same letter criticized enforcement after the attack, writing: “They gave the druggies and vagrants a summon for vicious dogs,” the letter said. “Nothing about trespassing or living in the condemned house.” The council record at the meeting includes those excerpts as presented by the resident proxy; no police department statement or police report was provided at the meeting.

A citizen who said he was looking for an apartment in the neighborhood told the council he “didn’t feel safe.” The speaker added, “If I don’t feel safe, how can middle school [ kids around 20 yards] away be safe? What happens if a child gets attacked next?” The council meeting record shows nearby schools were raised by speakers as part of the safety concern, though no school official spoke at the meeting.

A local Facebook post by user/page Cisco Boss echoed the absence of a public schedule, saying in part: “508 University. It's one of those short streets that goes ... move but there was no date and indication there would be any demolition.” That observation aligns with Downs’ statement that the city has a contractor and a notice to proceed but did not announce a public demolition start date at the Mar. 4 meeting.

City officials confirmed the city is preparing to demolish the condemned property and that legal steps and contractor selection are complete, but they did not provide the contractor’s name, a demolition start date, permit numbers, property owner information, court case numbers, or police report details during the council session. Downs’ declaration that the project will proceed “soon” was the most specific timeline offered to council members and neighbors.