DOVER, DE- Dover City Council voted unanimously to demolish four downtown homes, saying the properties violate the city's Dangerous Building Ordinance.
City leaders argue the move is necessary for public safety, to remove uninhabitable structures, and to improve downtown — but some property owners say the city’s approach is where their concerns lie.
At last week's council meeting, staff recommended declaring the properties and their accessory structures dangerous. The ordinance, outlined in Chapter 22 of the City of Dover code, sets the criteria for unsafe buildings and aligns with the International Property Maintenance Code.
Under the ordinance, four downtown properties were found to be in violation: 29 South New Street, 111 South Queen Street, and 303 and 415 West Division Street. Owners have until December 22, 2025, to repair or demolish the structures themselves; if they do not, the city will carry out demolition at its expense.
Marion Lott, who owns the South New Street property, says the home was once used by his organization, the House of Pride, an addiction treatment center.
Lott says that while the home has been vacant since June and had multiple unresolved violations dating back to 2023 — which led to its condemnation this summer — his main concern is the city's approach.
"What they were telling me is that they will tear the house down, which will cost as much as fifty thousand dollars. Then they would put a lien on it- and then if I fail to pay it, then the land goes to them."
Lott criticized the city's enforcement tactics, saying he feels the Dangerous Building Ordinance corners property owners and makes them targets.
"What I'm not in agreement with is the predator tactics that the city uses to acquire other people's property."
Lott says the real issue is not the house itself, but the crime and illegal activity around it, and he believes the city should focus on that rather than demolishing his property.
"A family cannot feel safe here if the house is shot at… if there is constant trespassing through the yard… if there are homeless people who build tents in the backyard."
Lott says he is not planning to save the property because he has been in talks with Delaware Habitat for Humanity and NeighborGood Partners, which have expressed interest in demolishing it and building a new home. That, he says, makes him question why the city is pursuing action against it.
Dover city leaders say the ordinance aims to improve safety and the overall condition of downtown neighborhoods.
Councilman Fred Neil, who supports the council's decision, said deteriorating properties have wide-ranging impacts.
"If it is in bad shape, it basically affects the entire neighborhood. It affects the morale. It affects the value of the homes."
He added that removing unsafe homes can also create opportunity.
"If the person is not going to fix it up, then tear it down and let us see if we can get something new that is habitable and safe for people to live in," he said.
Lott says he supports downtown revitalization and cleaning up the city, but feels the city's approach isn't the way to do so.
"My major concern with the whole process is being fair to the people who own the houses and not making them feel they have no alternative but to comply with what they're being told they have to do. All of us want the neighborhood to be revitalized — it's just how you go about doing it."
City leaders say this is about making the area safer, but some property owners are questioning how the process is being handled.