Officials question why buildings not up to code
CITYWIDE — The fact that thousands of Santa Monica buildings may not be able to withstand a major earthquake has prompted concern from some elected officials, who’d like the enforcement of seismic retrofitting laws to become a major city priority.
A recent report by the Daily Press (Oct. 21, Bracing the city for next quake) which indicated that hundreds, maybe thousands of Santa Monica buildings may not be able to hold up after a 7.0 earthquake — prompted reaction from some City Councilmembers, who fear the public may be in peril if updated building safety laws to protect structures during earthquakes aren’t enforced.
While the 1994 Northridge earthquake presented an opportunity for City Hall to toughen up its own buildings within Santa Monica, records show there is still a long way to go before a citywide overhaul to retrofit structures is complete.
Ben Yousefi, assistant building official, explained that there are several types of buildings in Santa Monica, many of which may require varying degrees of attention before they meet City Hall’s most recent seismic standards — put into effect three years ago.
SAY IT AGAIN Meanwhile, Councilman Ken Genser, referring to the Oct. 21 article, said the council had previously instructed city staff to enforce the updated laws, which would require the majority of buildings within Santa Monica to be brought up to the latest standards so they might be able to successfully endure a major earthquake.
According to Yousefi, city staff has since deferred enforcing the upgraded standards except for those buildings up for major renovation or replacement.
If true, Genser said he is greatly concerned by city staff’s lack of enforcement.
The councilman said city staff was previously requested to send out notices to building owners, who would then have a certain number of days to prepare engineering reports and start ordering seismic retrofitting upgrades to their facilities.
“None of this seems to have been done,” Genser said. “If that’s true (staff has not enforced the upgrades) because the costs associated were too prohibitive, as the article indicates, then staff should have returned to the council to seek advice.”
Genser — who believes City Hall must do a better job in general of enforcing the city code — said previous issues he’s had with out-of-compliant commercial signs and banners pales in comparison to his concern about the lack of seismic retrofitting.
“I’m upset for two reasons,” Genser said. “One is that the city has let these safety violations exist without any enforcement and did-n’t inform the council about it.
“Also, it’s not their judgment to make.”
Yousefi and Tim McCormick, city building official, were out of the office on Thursday and unavailable to comment.
Andy Agle, City Hall’s interim plan-ning director, didn’t say whether or not the failure to notice most Santa Monica building owners was due to the costs believed to be involved with the retrofitting.
However, Agle also said that the lack of enforcement wasn’t due to , either.
STABILITY OF PRIVATE BUILDINGS Across California, the tens of thousands of aging concrete buildings represent the state’s largest remaining risk of serious damage in a major earthquake, seismic safety officials said in a recent report. Constructed as department stores, schools, parking structures and office buildings from the 1930s through the early 1970s, these buildings typically consist of large, open lower stories held by non-reinforced or poorly reinforced concrete pillars, experts say.
Many seismic experts say these structures — known as non-ductile concrete buildings — need to be brought up to current standards. Genser said he has obtained information from City Hall which indicates there may be as many as 500 such buildings in Santa Monica still needing to be better reinforced.
However, Genser said that, according to the information provided him by City Hall, there may be another building type that is in desperate need of retrofitting. Genser said that, according to his information, as many as 2,500 concrete reinforced masonry buildings in Santa Monica may still need seismic upgrades.
Agle neither confirmed nor denied Genser’s information.
Of other safety concern, according to Yousefi, are steel moment frame buildings, which consist of beams and columns of steel welded together. During the 1994 quake, as many as 100 such structures suffered the most damage.
They were a popular form of construction during the 1980s boom in office buildings and many still need to be brought up to code.
Another problem are tilt-up buildings, Yousefi said. These are generally one-or two-story commercial or industrial warehouses that have concrete around the perimeter and have been popular since the 1970s. Agle said City Hall has been successful in noticing two types of buildings, the majority of which have been brought up to code. They are unreinforced masonry and soft-story buildings, he said.
“I don't think other types have received noticing,” Agle said.
Councilman Herb Katz agreed with Genser that his concerns over commercial signage infractions was relatively insignificant compared to the safety of buildings in the event of a major earthquake.
“Our problem in the city is that we’re asking for enforcement, but I think we’re focussed wrong,” Katz said. “The focus should be on health, safety and welfare, then we can start looking at trash in the alley.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 28, 2005. Read the original PDF.