What happened: Midland City Council met Tuesday, Sept. 22, and ordered the demolition of three vacant, deteriorating homes that city officials said have repeatedly drawn squatters, police, and code enforcement. One owner told council she could not afford to demolish her inherited property herself and called the city’s lower-cost demolition process “a blessing.”

Council also approved a state-funded $655,000 West Texas Aerospace Corridor master plan, a roughly $110,000 Fire Department drone paid for with donated funds, and a rezoning that clears the way for 21 additional homes in Vista del Pueblo once they can connect to city water.

Key points:

  • Three homes up for demolition: Council approved abatement orders on three vacant, deteriorating buildings that city staff said have drawn squatters and prompted repeated police and code enforcement calls. A property owner who inherited one of the properties told council she cannot afford private demolition and that squatters return within days of each cleanup. She called the city’s demolition process “a blessing.”

The city’s process allows owners to demolish the structures themselves, pay the city about $10,000 per property to handle demolition, or have the city demolish them and recover the cost through a lien when the property is eventually sold. City officials said private demolition can cost around $40,000-$50,000.

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The process gives owners a cheaper demolition option without requiring upfront payment, and allows the city to remove properties that have become public-safety problems. The owner retains the property, and removing the dilapidated structure can make it easier to sell and potentially leave the owner with more money from a future sale after the city repays its demolition costs.

  • $655K aerospace master plan: Council approved a service agreement between the Midland Development Corporation (MDC) and Kimley-Horn to develop a master plan for the West Texas Aerospace Corridor at a cost not to exceed $655,000. MDC will contract directly with the firm, but El Paso County will reimburse the full cost through a Texas Space Commission grant, meaning no local tax dollars will be spent.

The study will map out what West Texas already has to support the aerospace industry, what it is missing, and where future public and private investment could go.

  • $110k fire drone purchase: Council approved a roughly $110,000 contract with Axon Enterprise for a fire department drone, paid for with money the fire chief said Chevron and Oxy donated specifically for the purchase. The chief said firefighters requested the drone and that it will give incident commanders an aerial view of fires and other major incidents.
  • 21 more homes in Vista del Pueblo: Council rezoned 20 acres east of Todd Road in the Vista del Pueblo subdivision to allow 21 new one-acre single-family lots. However, city staff said the lots cannot be developed until they can connect to the city’s water system.

The city annexed the land in the Vista del Pueblo neighborhood more than 40 years ago, but homes in the subdivision rely on private wells rather than city water. As more homes have been built, some wells have begun drying up, prompting residents to ask the city for water service.

Texas law generally does not require the city to extend utilities to the neighborhood, and the city has limited ability to stop development that complies with existing rules. In February, council approved an agreement allowing a developer to build public water infrastructure serving Vista del Pueblo. Once completed, the infrastructure will become part of the city’s public water system.