Chapter 9.65
SEISMIC HAZARD IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR UNREINFORCED MASONRY BUILDINGS
Sections:
9.65.040 Building owner notification.
9.65.080 City’s review of engineering reports and letters of intent.
9.65.090 Building tenant notification.
9.65.110 Progress reports to city council.
9.65.010 Purpose.
It is generally acknowledged that the city is located in a geographic area of high seismic risk, due to its proximity to both the San Andreas and Hayward faults, and may reasonably be expected to experience moderate to severe ground shaking in the event of a significant local earthquake. Such ground shaking could result in serious injury or loss of life due to damage or collapse of buildings. Historically, unreinforced masonry buildings have been shown to be especially vulnerable. The purpose of this chapter is to promote public safety by identifying those buildings in the city which exhibit structural deficiencies in their capacities for earthquake resistance, and by determining the severity and extent of those deficiencies in relation to their potential for causing injury or loss of life. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.01).
9.65.020 Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
A. “Civil engineer or structural engineer” means a licensed civil or structural engineer registered by the state pursuant to the rules and regulations of Title 16, Chapter 5 of the California Code of Regulations.
B. “Uniform Building Code (UBC)” is as published by the International Conference of Building Officials, Whittier, California, as adopted by the city.
C. “Unreinforced masonry (URM) building” means any building containing walls and/or columns constructed wholly or partially of masonry without at least fifty percent of the reinforcement required by the 1985 edition of the UBC, and includes:
1. Unreinforced brick masonry;
2. Unreinforced concrete masonry;
3. Hollow clay tile;
4. Adobe or unburned clay masonry;
5. Stone masonry.
D. “Risk categories” are defined as follows:
1. “Essential building”: any building housing a hospital or other medical facility having surgery or emergency treatment areas; fire or police stations; municipal government disaster operation and communication centers;
2. “High risk building”: any building not classified as an essential building, having any occupant load of one hundred persons or more;
3. “Medium risk building”: any building not classified as an essential building, having an occupant load of twenty persons or more;
4. “Low risk building”: any building not classified as an essential building, having an occupant load of less than twenty persons.
E. Other terms are as defined in the 1985 edition of the UBC. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.02).
9.65.030 Scope of program.
Owners of all URM buildings in the city, except as exempted below, shall be required to have an engineering report submitted to the city’s building division, to determine the existence, nature, extent and severity of structural deficiencies in their buildings’ capacities for earthquake resistance which could result in damage or collapse with possible injury or loss of life.
A. Exempted Buildings. The following buildings are exempted from complying with this chapter:
1. Residential buildings with five or fewer dwelling units;
2. Warehouses or similar structures not used for human habitation, except for warehouses or structures housing emergency services equipment or supplies;
3. Buildings which have already been structurally upgraded in substantial accordance with either the 1973, or later, edition of the UBC or the city of Los Angeles Division 88 Standard for URM Buildings. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.03).
9.65.040 Building owner notification.
Owners of buildings included in the scope of this program shall be notified within six months of the enactment of the ordinance codified in this chapter by the building division of the city that each such building has been included in the city’s list of potentially hazardous URM buildings, and is required to have an engineer report submitted to the city. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.04).
9.65.050 Recording.
At the time of building owner notification, the building official shall file with the office of the county recorder a certificate stating that the subject building falls within the scope of this chapter, has been included in the city’s list of potentially hazardous URM buildings, and is required to comply with the provisions contained herein. At such later time as each such identified building has either been determined as excludable from the city’s list by further investigation, or has undergone mitigation of its hazards to the satisfaction of the building official, the building official shall then file with the office of the county recorder a certificate stating that the building has been removed from the potentially hazardous classification. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.05).
9.65.060 Engineering reports.
Owners of identified buildings shall submit engineering reports to the building division of the city as follows:
A. Timeframe. Engineering reports shall be submitted within eighteen months of building owner notification.
B. Authorized Preparers. Engineering reports shall be prepared by civil or structural engineers, as previously defined herein, who are familiar with seismic analysis and design.
C. Purpose. The purpose of each such engineering report shall be to investigate, in a thorough and unambiguous fashion, a building’s structural systems that resist earthquake forces, and to evaluate their adequacy to resist the seismic design forces as specified herein.
D. Engineering Standards. The engineering standards to be used in preparation of engineering reports shall be the 1985 edition of the UBC and the 1985 City of Los Angeles Division 88 Standard for URM Buildings, as modified by Appendix A of the ordinance codified in this chapter, incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
E. Format. The format for engineering reports shall be as outlined in Appendix B of the ordinance codified in this chapter, incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof, or other equivalent format approved in writing by the building official. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.06).
9.65.070 Letters of intent.
A letter of intent shall be submitted within ninety days of submittal of each engineering report, and shall describe in general fashion how the building owner intends to approach hazard reduction of his or her building. Options available to the building owner for approaching hazard reduction include, but are not limited to, the following:
A. Structural rehabilitation of the building to meet or exceed the seismic provisions of the engineering standards referenced herein, provided that any building which qualifies as “historical property” as determined by an appropriate governmental agency under Section 37602 of the Health and Safety Code shall be retrofitted in accordance with the State Historical Building Code.
B. Change in use of the building to a residential or warehouse occupancy exempted from compliance with this chapter, as previously described herein, as may be allowed by other city ordinances.
C. Sale of the building to a new owner, who shall then bear the responsibility of hazard reduction.
D. Vacating the building pending further investigation of possible alternatives.
E. Demolition of the building, or portions thereof, to eliminate the potentially hazardous conditions. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.07).
9.65.080 City’s review of engineering reports and letters of intent.
The building division shall review the documents submitted for each identified building for conformance to this chapter. The building division may, at its option, engage the services of consulting civil or structural engineers to assist in evaluation of documents submitted. Costs of each such review shall be recovered by fees assessed upon the building owner at the time of submittal of documents, based upon the time required for review of any structural rehabilitation plans subsequently submitted for building permit purposes for work directly related to compliance with this chapter. Copies of engineering reports submitted shall be available to the public for review at the building division upon request. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.08).
9.65.090 Building tenant notification.
Owners of each identified building shall provide each of their tenants with written notification that a seismic investigation of their building has taken place, and that the engineering report documenting the investigation is available for review at the building division. Such notification shall occur within ninety days of submittal of each engineering report. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.09).
9.65.100 Penalties.
Nonconformance with this chapter is unlawful. Violation constitutes a misdemeanor and is subject to civil prosecution under the laws and ordinances of the city. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.10).
9.65.110 Progress reports to city council.
The building division shall prepare annual progress reports to the city council on the implementation of this chapter. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.11).
9.65.120 Interpretations.
The interpretation of the building official shall prevail on matters relating to the implementation of this chapter. (Ord. 553, § 1; 1976 Code § 9-13.12).