DICKINSON - The city’s Building Standards Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to keep an order forcing more than 100 residents to vacate the Creekside Apartments by Dec. 31 but didn’t order the complex demolished, opting instead to allow the owner a chance to redevelop the property.

Herman Meyers, the city’s chief building official, showed commissioners photos of the deteriorating complex, including one of sewage he said had been on a sidewalk for months.

The apartment complex had multiple safety problems and should be shut down, Meyers said.

Ahmet Kalkan, vice president of Kalkan Capital, which owns the property, said contractors and property managers and lack of communications were at fault for the deteriorating complex.

“I provide clean, quiet, safe, friendly neighborhoods to distressed communities,” Kalkan said. “Why has this failed for the first time in my life in Creekside? For two reasons. One: there was a problem with the team; contractor and management, both which have been fixed. Two: lack of communication. I’ve had problems communicating with this wonderful city.”

City officials said they had no option but to order people to leave the apartments, 406 Deats Road, and last week approved about $185,000 to provide residents with about $1,000 each to help with moving. The money is to be administered through M.I. Lewis Social Service Center.

Apartment managers disputed that, asserting they had attempted to correct problems but had been stymied by the city.

“Notwithstanding our efforts and investments, we are now being kept from providing hot water to you by the city of Dickinson Code Enforcement Office,” a letter by Excel Property Management distributed to residents the day of the emergency orders stated. “We could restore the heat at a moment’s notice from our two boilers.”

The Texas Department of Licensing and Registration inspected a water boiler at the apartment complex on Nov. 16 and found it to be disconnected and have exposed wiring, according to the department’s report. The department instructed apartment managers not to install a second-hand boiler purchased before the inspection until that boiler had been repaired, according to the report.

“After a minor gas leak, the city forced us to turn off the community’s two boilers,” the management company’s letter asserted. “Once a bolt was tightened on the leaking valve, the city of Dickinson notified us they wanted physical repairs to one of our boiler rooms before we could turn the heat back on.

“As a result, we quickly brought in a temporary but pre-approved boiler, then erected the fencing and other security mandated by the City of Dickinson. Despite following every order of code enforcement officers, the City of Dickinson has refused to allow us to turn the heat back on.”

City officials, however, said the Building Standards Commission conducted a series of inspections from May to September this year that found numerous code violations throughout the property.

Creekside ownership, Dickinson City Council and the building commission agreed on Jan. 31 deadline to fence off the property and secure it for redevelopment, Dickinson City Manager Theo Melancon said.

José Mendiola: 409-683-5230 or jose.mendiola@galvnews.com