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SR-8-B (118) c.;,t7 LUTM:PPD:SF:TR f:\ppd\share\ccreport\finurm1 Council Meeting: June 21, 1994 Santa Monica, California TO: Mayor and city Councll FROM: City staff SUBJECT: Recommendation to Adopt an Emergency Ordinance Establishing New Standards for the Repair and Retrofit of Potentlally Hazardous Structures INTRODUCTION This report recommends City Council adoption of an emergency ordinance containing new repair and retrof i tting standards for potentially hazardous structures in order to protect against damage from future earthquakes. BACKGROUND In reviewing the damage to buildings in the city resulting from the January 17 Northridge earthquake, staff has identified improvements that need to be made to building codes in order to strengthen specific types of buildings that sustained consistent damage. Worklng closely with the Building and Safety Commlssion, staff has prepared an emergency ordinance containing specific standards for the repair and retrofitting of a variety of potentially hazardous structures, including the following types: o Unreinforced masonry structures (URM'S)i o SOft-story constructlon o "Tilt-up" pre-cast concrete buildings 1 o Steel-frame buildings; and, o Non-ductile/reinforced pre-cast concrete frame buildings. The proposed emergency ordinance addresses several repalr, retroflt, and hazard mltigation issues which staff believes are urgent and should be dealt with immediately. staff will continue to work with the Building and Safety Commission to evaluate and develop refinements to other building standards to address other ldentifled issues. In developlng these recommendations, staff has relied extensively upon the expertise and recommendations of the Building and safety commission. since March, 1994, the Building and Safety CommisSlon has devoted six meetings to thls subject. Unless expllcitly stated otherwise, the recommendations set forth ln this report carry the support of the Commission. The purpose of the proposed new standards is to significantly reduce potential damage from future earthquakes by addressing specific types of buildings which the January 17 earthquake has shown to be especlally susceptible to significant earthquake damage, and which current City code standards do not adequately address. By adopting these standards, the city may help to reduce hazards as well as significantly lessen the devastating economic impact of future earthquakes. 2 Table I shows the number of potentially hazardous structures by building type as identified by staff. The table shows the universe of structures that would be subject to the new requirements. Many of the structures may already meet the proposed new structural requirements and therefore would not require retrofitting. However, in order to determine if a building is in compliance with the proposed standards, an engineering analysis will be required. The following discussion addresses each of the potentially hazardous building types, the problems observed in these structures as a result of the Northridge earthquake, and the proposed standards to address the public safety problems. Unreinforced Masonry Buildinqs During the last two decades, the City has undertaken several measures to address the potential hazards associated with unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. In 1978, the city council authorized staff to prepare an lnventory of all unreinforced, pre-1933 masonry buildings and notlced owners of potential hazards. Included in the inventory were 252 potentially hazardous structures. Most of these were located in the Downtown and Main Street commercial areas, as well as along Santa Monica Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard, pica Boulevard, Montana Avenue, Broadway, Lincoln Boulevard, and Ocean Front Boulevard. Since that time, 128 have undergone 3 TABLE I Number of Potentially Hazardous Structures by BUilding Type URM's Soft- Story Tllt- up . Steel-frame I" Precast Concrete Non-ductile concrete. Incl 123r23/URMoth1 Figures for Tilt-up, steel-frame, precast concrete, and non-ductile concrete are preliminary are subject to change pending further detailed field investigations i above- grade parking I 218 1,921 <20 <50 <10 50-100 seismic upgrading, 27 have been demolished (prior to the earthquake), and 5 were removed from the list after more detailed structural engineering reports showed that they were not unrein forced masonry-bearing wall structures after all. Ninety (90) non-retrofitted URM's remain. since the earthquake, 9 of the 218 URM's remaining prior to the earthquake have been demolished. In July, 1992, to comply with state legislation, the City adopted a mandatory seismic retrofitting ordinance based upon the state Model Ordinance for Seismic Retrofit of Hazardous URM's. The Clty'S URM ordinance requires that all URM's undergo out-of-plane strengthening, in addition to roof and floor strengthening and in-plane strengthening of exterior walls. Under the ordinance, all retrofitting must be conducted within one to ten years. since the January 17 Northridge earthquake, the Building and Safety staff has examined all URM's to assess the extent of damage. In particular, staff has examined the extent of damage by geographlc area, the extent of damage depending upon whether or not the building was retrofitted, and the type of damage. What the evaluatlons show is that damage varied depending upon geographic area of the city. For example, the 38 URM's on 4 Main street experienced llttle or no damage. Among the 29 URM's located on the Third street Promenade, only 3 experienced moderate damage. Moderate damage involves severe cracking of walls and/or a collapsed parapet. Conversely, of the 37 URM's on Santa Monica Boulevard, 20 sustained moderate damage and 4 sustained severe damage. Severe damage involves a wall or ceiling collapse. Similarly, on Montana Avenue, 5 of the 9 URM's sustained moderate damage. One possible explanation for these differences is that most of the URM's on the Third Street Promenade and Maln street are immediately adjacent to other buildings, giving them added sheer strength to resist lateral groundshaking, whereas many of the URM's on Santa Monica Boulevard and Montana Avenue stand alone. Another explanation for the different levels of damage is that the URM's on Montana Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard were closer to the areas of the most severe groundshaklng. Non-retrofitted URM's generally sustained greater damage than retrofitted URM's. As shown in Table II, approximately 42 percent of the non-retrofitted URM's experienced moderate or severe damage, compared to 21 percent of the retrofitted URM's. 5 The damage information also shows that wall and parapet cracking and collapse were common in both retrofitted and non- retrofitted URM's. Based upon this information, staff believes that the existing URM retrofit standards to not adequately protect against wall and parapet damage and/or collapse. General URM Repair/Retrofit criteria staff recommends the application of the following criteria for the repair and reconstruction of all unreinforced masonry structures: o When a portion of a URM building such as a parapet, wall or other structure collapses, and when the reconstructed portion Slts atop an unreinforced masonry structure, the reconstructed portion must be constructed of material that is structurally compatible with the underlying unreinforced masonry, such as wood frame or steel. masonry and concrete are not Relnforced considered structurally compatible with underlying unreinforced masonry. o Upon commencement of any required structural alterations to a URM, a pedestrian canopy shall be constructed under the portion of the URM adjacent to the publlC right of way. 6 TABLE II Earthquake Damage to Retrofitted and Non-Retrofitted URM's Amt of Damage . Non-Retrofitted URM's % Retrofitted URM's "" . TOTAL : Minimal or None i Moderate i Severe , 52 28 10 578% 31 1% 11 1% 96 750% 148' 25 195%. 53! 7 55%. 17! 128 1000% 218' !TOTAL 90 1000%1 None - No damage MinImal - Minor crackIng of walls and/or parapet Moderate - Severe cracking of walls, and/or collapsed parapet Severe - Wall or ceiling collapse 123r23/urmsolo1 o For landmark and landmark-eligible structures, an owner may request a modification of any of the repair and retroflt standards WhlCh may be granted so long as the requested modification is consistent with Part 8, Title 24, California Code of Regulations, the state of Callfornia Historical Building Code. Parapets The earthquake resulted in the damage and collapse of URM parapets throughout the city, including many URM's that had been upgraded to conform to the City's URM Ordinance standards. Parapet collapse can be costly and even hazardous. Had the Northridge earthquake occurred at another time of day, numerous injuries could have resulted from collapsing parapets. Experience from recent earthquakes have highlighted that replacing collapsed portlons of URM buildings with new reinforced masonry on top of unreinforced masonry is problematic. The primary problem is that the added weight of masonry creates additional stress on the underlYlng structure, thus increasing the chances of damage or collapse during future groundshaking. Thus, staff is proposing new standards for the repair of parapets. Specifically the standards require: 7 o Zone definitions for the purposes of establishing priorities for retrofitting parapets and walls: Zone 1 shall be defined as the area which poses an immedlate hazard to the public right-of-way, specifically, (a) for one-story buildings, the area within 9 feet of a public right-of-way; and, (b) for two- or more story buildings, the area within 20 feet of a public right of way. Zone 2 shall be defined as all areas not in Zone 1. o All URM Parapets: If any part of a URM parapet is located within Zone 1, the parapet must be braced to the roof per current UBC standards within 18 months of the adoption of the Ordinance, or as part of earthquake repair. For all parapets located in Zone 2, the parapet must be braced as part of any structural upgrade pursuant to the timetable contained in the City'S existing URM Ordinance. o Damaqed URM Parapets: If damage to a URM parapet resultlng from the Northridge earthquake exceeds 10 percent of any glven length of the parapet elevatlon or where the cost of repair exceeds $50,000, the parapet must be braced to the roof per current UBI standards within 18 months of the adoption of the Ordinance. 8 Wall Failures Neither the existing URM Ordinance nor the building code address the method of repalring damaged URM walls. In light of the fact that much of the URM damage from the Northridge earthquake involved only portions of structures, staff is recommending the following standards: o If damage to any elevation is minor (<10 percent cracking) and the wall remains connected to floor/ceilings and is in plane and plumb, cosmetic repairs with grout or epoxy shall be made wlthin 18 months of the effective date of the proposed ordinance or as part of any earthquake repair buildlng permit. o If any elevation lS out of plane by less than 2 percent, the property owner shall submit to the City within 6 months of the effective date of the ordinance an Engineer's report on the extent of the damage and necessary repairs. If the wall is 2 percent or more out of plumb or out of plane, within 18 months the damaged portion of the wall shall be removed to the next available horizontal and vertical structural boundary and rebuilt to the current code with non-masonry alternate materials. o For vacant, non-retrofitted URM's located within Zone 1 where the value of repair exceeds $10,000, the property owner shall within 18 months brace or 9 retrofit at least those portions of the building which reside ln Zone 1. URM Evaluation Some of the URM's damaged by the earthquake may be weakened and therefore more susceptible to further damage from additional earthquake or aftershocks. Staff is recommending re-inspection of all URM's and accelerated retrofitting of damaged structures, as follows: o Where City inspections indicate that structural damage may have occurred, the city will notify the property owner that within 60 days of notification, the property owner shall submit an engineering report identifying the extent of damage and necessary repairs. Necessary repairs shall be made within 18 months of notification by the city. o For buildings that have not been damaged, retrofit will occur under City's existing URM retrofiting standards. IISoft-story" Construction Mitiqation A number of potential building failures throughout the City and region have been observed in structures using gypsum board or stucco shear walls, elevated flag-pole column systems, and open first floor car port designs using combinations of the above in rotation--otherwise known as "soft-story" 10 construction. Severe racking at the foundation level of soft- story carports caused many of the units above the carports to be red- or yellow-tagged. As a result of a prellminary survey, city staff has identified approximately 1,900 soft-story buildings, consisting of predominantly mUlti-family residential buildings containing an estimated 14,000 dwelling units. Table III shows the total number of sOft-story buildings identlfied and their distribution throughout dlfferent geograph~cal areas of the city. Under the proposed ordinance, apply to the repair and construction: o Within 120 days of the effective date of the ordinance, the owner of a soft story structure in which the cost of earthquake damage repair is less than 50 percent of the replacement value shall submit an engineering report demonstrating whether the building complies with the Earthquake Design standards contained in the UBC adopted by the city. If the structure does not comply with these standards, it shall be strengthened according to these minimum specifications. the following criteria will retrofitting of soft-story 1 1 TABLE III NUMBER OF SOFT-STORY STRUCTURES By City section including Red/Yellow Tag status. RED TAG TOTAL 1,921 16 NORTH OF WILSHIRE 823 9 COLORADO TO WILSHIRE 501 7 PICO TO COLORADO 147 SOUTH OF PICO 450 * Damage assessment status as of February 15, 1994 YELLOW TAG 49 33 12 1 3 o within 120 days of the date the ordinance becomes effective, property owners of sOft-story buildings not damaged by the earthquake shall submit a structural engineering report and non-rotational lateral analysis to evaluate conformity with the current Earthquake Design Standards of the UBC. If the building does not meet these buildings code specifications, the engineering report shall describe the repairs needed to meet the minimum UBI lateral force levels in non-rotational evaluatlon. o Timelines: All sOft-story portions of buildings shall be required to be retrofitted to a minimum of the current earthquake building code design standards according to the following timelines, effective upon adoption of the ordinance: I - Essentlal Faclllties - 1 Year II - High Risk (> 100 occupant load) - 2 Years III - Medium Risk (10 - 100 occupant load) - 3 Years* IV - Low Risk (<10 occupant load) - 4 Years* *Unless building has any occupied square footage other than parking and/or storage, on the bottom, soft/weak-story floor or portion of the building, ln WhlCh case the retrofit shall be required in 2 years. 12 These standards are based upon the occupant load and bUlldlng type standards contalned in the City's URM retrofit ordinance. Pre-1976 "Tilt-up" Precast Concrete Buildings "Tilt-up" buildings get their name from the fact that their concrete walls are generally poured on site and tilted up into position to form the exterior walls of the structure. Prior to the 1976 UBC, "tilt-up" concrete wall panels were generally installed without adequate integral wall/diaphragm anchor systems. It has been recognlzed for some time that this condition poses an earthquake threat to the buildings stability. Santa Monica does not have a significant number of tilt-up buildings constructed under pre-1976 Building Codes. However, some tilt-up buildings did experience damage and this type of construction has been speciflcally identified by other jurisdictions as a potentially hazardous building type. staff estimates there are less than 20 of these types of buildings in Santa Monica. In order to address the potential threat caused by this type of building, staff recommends adoption of similar standards 13 recently adopted by the city of Los Angeles. The recommended standards are as follows: o Require a structural engineering analysis within 275 days of City notificationi o If the engineering analysis shows that structure does not meet minlmum earthquake standards in the UBC, require strengthening according to the timelines identified above. steel Framed Buildings The Northridge earthquake caused severe damage to the connections of some steel-frame bUlldings. The full extent of such damage is difficult to assess due to the fact that most such connections are covered. However, based upon isolated analyses, the damage to steel frame buildings is worse than anticipated. It is estlmated that there are less than 50 other steel-frame structures throughout the city. To address the potential hazards ln steel frame buildings, staff will prov1de letters to all owners of steel frame buildings advising them of potential damage from the recent earthquake and recommending a detalled inspection by a structural engineer ln order to determine the safety scope and extent of any damage. Staff will continue to monitor this 14 issue and, if necessary, will return to Council with more specific retrofit requirements if such standards are identified by the structural engineering profession. Non-ductile/Reinforced Concrete Buildinqs Several precast and reinforced concrete structures in the city were damaged ln the earthquake, including Champagne Towers on Ocean Avenue and virtually all the city parking structures in the Bayside District. Reinforced non-ductile concrete buildings over two stories and pre-cast structures over one story may be especlally susceptible to damage from groundshaking. This is confirmed by the extent of damage to these types of building throughout the reglon. Buildings located on the University of Northridge campus, Sherman Oaks Galleria and Northridge Plaza sustained substantial damage as a result of the Northridge Earthquake. This type of building has the potential for slgniflcant damage and therefore should be thoroughly evaluated for structural stability. The Building and Safety Dlvlsion staff estimates that there are between 50 and 100 non-ductile reinforced concrete buildings in the city. Of these, eight are public parking structures in the downtown commercial district. As part of the proposed ordinance, staff lS recommendlng the following: 15 l) Notify all property owners of these buildings that within 275 days of notlfication by the City, a report evaluating the building's compliance with the current adopted Uniform Building Code seismic force levels shall be submitted to the City. 2) If the building does not conform with the adopted Uniform Building Code, the engineering report shall specify how the building shall be brought lnto conformity with the current UBC seismic force levels, and shall be upgraded according to the timelines identified earlier in thlS report. Water Heaters The breakage and collapse of water heaters can create hazards, cause water damage, and leave many buildings without hot water. During the recent earthquake, many water heaters collapsed unnecessarily. The proposed ordinance requlres: o Prior to building sale, or as part of any buildlng permit or property inspection carried out by the Building and Safety Division, all water heaters shall be braced according to the standards identified by the Building and safety Division (see Attachment B) . 16 FUNDING OPTIONS Various potential funding sources may be used to assist property owners to comply with the new standards contained in the proposed ordinance. These include the following: o Small Business Administration (SBA): Loans of up to $1.5 million per property may be available to private property owners through the Small Business Administration. o Hazard Mitigation Grant Program: The Stafford Act authorizes the use of a certain percentage of the federal supplemental earthquake relief approprlations be used for hazard mitigation, including earthquake repair and retrofitting. It lS estimated that the state of California will be ellgible for up to $780 million in funds for hazard mitigation programs. criteria for allocation and distribution of the funds are still being developed by the state of Californla, WhlCh will administer the program. The program pays up to 75 percent of the cost of eligible hazard mitigation projects and requlres a match by the local jurisdiction. At this point, it appears that schools will receive top priority, hospitals wlll recelve second prlority, and essentlal facilities will receive third priority. It is not yet known how much money wlll be available to the city of Santa Monica through this program. 17 o Earthquake Recovery Redevelopment Funds: As part of the proposed Earthquake Recovery Redevelopment Project, staff will be recommending that, as part of the first five-year implementation plan, approximately $1.4 million in tax increment funds be applied to a program to provide loan and grant assistance to commercial and industrial properties for repairs and rehabilitation, and another $400,000 be applied to a program for earthquake preparedness for commercial and industrial properties, including retrofitting, educational materials, and hazardous materials mitigatlon. with respect to residential properties, staff will be recommendlng that $1.8 mllllon be applied toward grant and loan assistance for resldential repalr and rehabilitation, and another $600,000 be used for financial assistance for residential retrofitting. ONGOING BUILDING AND SAFETY COMMISSION ISSUES In addition to the new standards contained in the proposed emergency ordinance, the Building and Safety Commission has recommended the following program to address interior hazards in a variety of land uses: o The Cl ty should prepare pamphlets and videos on mi tigatlng potentlal lnterlor hazards in single family, multi-family, commercial, and lndustrial buildings. The pamphlets shall address hazards 18 posed by suspended ceilings, light fixtures, store racks, shelves and other interior hazards. Moreover, staf f is working with Commission to determine possible issues: the Building action on the and Safety following o Consider expanding the noticing and sign postlng requirements currently applicable to URM's to other potentially hazardous buildings; o Work with major insurers on developing insurance pricing incentives to encourage required retrofitting; and, o Explore the possibillty of requiring mandatory anchor- bolting of conventlonal wood-frame structures as part of any application for a substantlal rehabilltation. Any recommendations made by the Building and Safety Commission on these matters will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration. CEQA The action proposed by staff is exempt from CEQA under Section 15269 of the State Resources Code in that the ordinance is an emergency project under the CEQA disaster exemption. 19 BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT As a result of the new code standards, the approval of this ordinance may increase costs to repair certain structures including city-owned structures. The City is required to contribute two and one-half percent of the costs to repair and retrofit damaged city structures. The spec1fic costs for the repair are not known at this time, however, the council will have the opportunity to review the construction costs as repair contracts are awarded. As noted above, the staff will be recommending that tax increment funds from the proposed Earthquake Recovery Redevelopment Project be used to assist with the repair and retrofit of privately-owned buildings. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the city council adopt the proposed ordinance contained in Attachment A establishing new standards for the repair and retrof i ttlng of potentially hazardous structures. Prepared by: Suzanne Frick, LUTM Director Tad Read, Assoclate Planner Renee Cowhig, Building & Zoning Inspectlon Supervisor Bill Rome, Building Official Attachments: A - Emergency ordinance for the Repair and Retrofit of Potentially Hazardous Buildings B - Water Heater Retrofit Standards 20 II -.. , t' I; 'I . i t .J~~l t _ 1 .::" 74 DO-IT-YOURSELF WATER HEATER STRAPPING Un~ecured .... ..Her heJrer~ can move or wpple dUring the ~h.lkmg of an e.lfthquake for a tee The G.b COI'lp.lnV .I licensed contraCror or olumber l..l'1 f-Ielo \ 08''': :mc'lOr vour Warer hearer to rhe wall Howe\er ;-':lnv of CLlr customers enlOV Lhe sanng~ .u:d Der~Gn.'; ~atlsf.1GJon of dOing rhls home JF10ro\ en'c'-: orefect 'hemseh-e.., Here ..Ire d.rc;'[1on~ tor ~ecunng J. t\plcd I;\,uer ne:ller Tools & Materials Felt-T'p \[...-I...er T,lpe \k.l':.lre l-iJ.mn'er \\'lre Cutter Tm SnIp'" or HJ.c;"saw -\Glusubk \\"rer>ch Open-End Wre'lch or SOlket Ser Pov..er Dnll t\:th 3.16 '. 5/16 "and 318 "Bits P!lers 21 Feer 0: P'unber~ T,;oe 20-Gauge .\hmmuffi .2 Wooe: ~,ruds 5-Foor 2"'( 'I" 12 L.g Bol" ";,16' 'i: 3 1.2" 8 Lag Boj,~ ,; 16''( 1 1 2" 8 Stal'd.J..c 30lts \"I.'rf> .....uts 1 --I"X 3'1" 2 ~[and::If(': 30lts \"I. it') 'iurs 1, ..." xl1..2" -T "hdt B..',-,,,er, prednlled Size ro Fir 20 ~teel \\ . ~'1ers ~ III ::0 Steel '\>. bher~ 1 ..." Follow These Steps 1 C~lng l telt-lIo l'1:J.rker m..LrK 1;\ :uer heller on '!orh 'lde.., "'x 'nche~ do\\ n trom the roo ..Lnd tour meres aOQve the thermostat comrol \-aive Trar'srer the~e '113ri{s hOf"zomall'r acro~s to the v"ali behind ;t 2. LaCHe a;1d rT'ark the cemer of e'i:ISung \"\ ail .,r',Jds JDoroxlmatelv ~4 Inches trom elrher SIde ot the <:\ :ller ~eater when oosslble Pl.1ce marks 2 lr1cnes .Ibm e and below marks on 1;\ all The 2 ... --I <:\':i be centered between these marks 3. Cut p"',e .2 '( -is .0 -each ..lcross at lea~t tour eXlSr- Ing <:\ al' ~tuds Dnll 5/16 'hoie~ In the 2 "{ --IS at l6 '- - on center to match the center or the <:\:111 st'Jds marKed ill Step.2 ~ee FIgure 1 on page 25 Holdmg the 2 "{ --IS level agamst the w::dl with the holes hned up on the center at rhe wall ~ruds marK the wall ..It the center ot the holes 4. r= i ' 1 . x 'I . slUd _I sheetroCK - r l-\ ~ "llh 13lii nollS '\Jler lJe:ller ~-1(> "Ifl 'a~ boi's "llh \\a:.hers Figure 1 5/16" ~ 3 Ifr' lag bolt _ [............... 5/10" x I 1/1" lag boll-l - '\..:. ;' 1-/ S1eelsheU b1'3cketS -, - l I ~ '" ~ 5land:u-d bolt 'qt; '\~her & nUl / I "-.Jet qe:ller j;.; I ]i" \ I 112" bolt Vollh ""] '\~her & nU! y , . t - plumbers l:lpe completelv '.....-- Jround \\ arer healer FI gure 2 51'16 "x 1 In" tag boit - "lth ....asher I I bl"!Clflg s;raps '~lth l plumoers uoe : b - un off bracket to 1-, Jr:!ce str:lp ~ '~"3ler he:uer IN \ 3/-1' ;;tU]d:lrd bolt ...-- - f ;\11n. t\."aSher & nut )) Figure 3 25 CA:f:\a\m\1\mhs\urmord2 City Council Meeting 6-21-94 Santa Monica, California ORDINANCE NUMBER 1748{CCS) (City Council Series) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA AMENDING SECTION 9.04.140 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO SUPPLEMENTAL SEISMIC SAFETY REHABILITATION REQUIREMENTS, ADDING SECTIONS 8.04.171 THROUGH 8.04.173 TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE RELATED TO SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REPAIR, RECONSTRUCTION AND REINFORCEMENT OF POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS STRUCTURES, REQUIRING BRACING OF WATER HEATERS, AND DECLARING THE PRESENCE OF AN EMERGENCY WHEREAS, numerous buildings and other structures in the City of Santa Monica experienced substantial damage due to the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake and its aftershocks; and WHEREAS, an evaluation of the damage reveals that because of construction methods certain structures are especially susceptible to damage in the event of major earthquakes and pose a substantial risk to publlC health, safety, and welfare; and WHEREAS, the City Council has considered evidence presented in the staff report and public hearing concerning local conditions; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Health and Safety Code sections 17958.5 and 17958.7, based upon local climatic, geological, and topographical conditions, the City Council finds it is ~ reasonably necessary to adopt supplemental requirements related to repair, reconstruction and reinforcement of potentially hazardous structures as identified in this ordinance, and to require earthquake bracing of water heaters; and WHEREAS, for the reasons set forth above, protection of the public health, safety and welfare requires the immediate establishment of these supplemental requirements; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Findinqs. The City council finds that: (a) The city is at risk of strong ground motion from a number of nearby earthquake faults including the Newport- Inglewood, Malibu Coast and Santa Monica faults. Potential damage to new and most existing development is likely to be slight to moderate; however, localized severe damage to potentially hazardous structures may occur; (b) Shallow ground water within 50 feet of the ground surface occurs along the beach, near the industrial corridor and Marine Park areas of the city. This ground water condition, coupled with unconsolidated youthful sedimentary soils, makes these areas susceptible to possible liquefaction during strong or moderately strong earthquakes. Liquefaction is a very destructive secondary effect of strong seismic 2 shaking where a loss of bearing strength occurs along with ground oscillations in the supporting soils; (c) The location of the City in proximity to the Pacific Ocean creates an environment of high humidity and dampness which can severely affect the conditions of structures exposed to the elements. (d) The structural integrity of certain types of building structures performs poorly during the ground shaking associated with earthquakes and is susceptible to extensive damage and a threat to the public safety. Potentially hazardous structures include the following building types: unreinforced masonry structures; soft/weak story structures; pre-1976 tilt-up concrete buildings; steel-framed buildings; and pre-cast/reinforced poured in place concrete/non-ductile buildings. (e) The evidence presented in damage assessment reports prepared by the Building and Safety Division and structural engineering reports submitted to the City in the aftermath of the Northridge earthquake has yielded the following results for damaged potentially hazardous buildings: (1) Unreinforced masonry structures experienced numerous parapet collapses and wall failures, particularly in the downtown and northern sections of the City. The absence of reinforcement and the deterioration of the mortar in the marine environment close to the ocean were contributing factors. 3 (2) Many soft-story portions of structures, primarily located north of Colorado Avenue, suffered severe damage during the strong ground shaking. Limited shear wall or lateral force resistance was a contributing factor. (3) Tilt-up concrete buildings constructed prior to the 1976 Uniform Building Code are vulnerable to roof collapse during an earthquake. These structures were generally built with inadequate integral wall/diaphragm anchor systems. No such damage was exper ienced in Santa Monica dur ing the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake as no tilt-up structures are located in the areas of the city most severely impacted by the ground shaking; however, the performance of these buildings has been very poor in areas outside of Santa Monica during the Northridge earthquake and other earthquakes of similar magnitude such as the Lama Prieta earthquake of 1989. (4) Some pre-cast and reinforced non-ductile concrete structures located in the downtown and beach areas of the City suffered severe damage during the earthquake through the cracking of rigid concrete members. Older reinforced concrete structures lack adequate horizontal ties for vertical steel reinforcing rods and were designed with significantly different seismic design criteria than presently required by the Uniform Building Code. (f) During the Northridge earthquake numerous unsecured water heaters throughout the city broke loose from their fittings, some thereby rupturing gas and water lines. This 4 condition presented an immediate fire hazard at a time when Fire Department resources were already in significant demand, thereby creating a potential delay in responding to the hazard. (g) Based upon the above-described local climatic, geological and topographical conditions, it is necessary to adopt supplemental regulations concerning the evaluation, repair, reconstruction and retrofitting of potentially hazardous structures, and to require bracing of water heaters so as to avoid or lessen the potential threat to the public health, safety, and welfare in the event of future seismic activity. SECTION 2. section 8.04.140 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is amended to read as follows: 8.04.140 UAC Sectlon 206(c) added- Supplemental Seismic Safety Rehabilitation Requlrements. section 206(c) of the Unlform Administrative Code, 1991 Edition, related to Supplemental Seismic Safety Rehabilitation Requirements, is added to read as follows: Division 1. 00. Scope. The provisions of this Section shall apply to all pre-1934 unrelnforced masonry structures which currently have or may in the future have recorded against them on the record of t1tle in the County Recorder's Office a city "Notice of Substandard and Potentially Hazardous Building." 5 Division 2.00. Compliance Requirements. The owner of each building within the scope of this section shall, within the time limits set forth in this section, cause the building to be structurally altered to conform to the earthquake standards specified in the Seismic Retrofitting Code. Division 3.00. Occupant Load and Building Type. The occupant load of each building SUbject to the Seismic Retrofitting Code shall be determined by the Building Official in accordance with Section 3302 of the Uniform Building Code. For purposes of complYlng with the time limits set forth in Division 4.00, the rating classification ("Type") of the building shall be defined as follows: Rating Classification Building Type Occupant Load Essential High risk Medium risk I II III-A III-B Any 100 or more 100 or more More than 20, but fewer than 100 Fewer than 20 Low risk IV An tlessential" building shall be any building that must be usable in the event of an emergency, and shall include hospitals, police and fire stations and disaster recovery centers. A "high risk" building shall be any building with 100 or more occupants and without masonry or woodframe crosswalls spaced less than 40 feet apart in each story. A "medium risk subclass A" building shall be any building with 100 or more occupants and wlth masonry or woodframe crosswalls spaced less 6 than 40 feet apart in each story. A "medium risk subclass B" building shall be any building with more than 20 but fewer than 100 occupants. A IIlow riskll building shall be any building with fewer than 20 occupants. Division 4.00. Timetable for Compliance. The time limits set forth below shall begin to run from the date the Seismic Retrofitting Code is adopted. The owner of any occupied or vacant building within the scope of this section shall comply with the requirements set forth herein and in the Seismic Retrofitting Code by filing for a permit, submitting plans to the Building Official, commencing construction and completing construction within the time limits specified below: File for Permit and Commence Complete submit Plans to construction Construc- Required Action Building Building Official within tion By Owner Type Within within A. Install Wall Type I,ll, 180 Days 270 Days 1 Year III, IV B. If Wall Type I 635 Days (lyr 9 mas) 2 Years 4 Years Anchors Type II 635 Days (lyr 9mos) 2 Years 4 Years Installed, 2825 Days (7yrs 9mos) 8 Years 10 Years Then Make 2825 Days (7yrs 9roos) 8 Years 10 Years structural Alterations: C. If Wall Type I 270 Days 1 Year 2 Years Anchors Are Type II 270 Days 1 Year 2 Years Not Type III 1000 Days (2yrs 9mos) 3 Years 4 years Installed, Type IV 1365 Days (3yrs 9roos) 4 Years 5 Years Then Make Structural Alterations: 7 Such plans shall be prepared by a state licensed architect or engineer. After plans are filed and approved by the Building Official, the owner shall obtain a Building Permit and then commence and complete the requlred construction within the time limits set forth above. That portion of the plan check and building permit fees that are allocable to structural alteration of the building that is necessary for compliance with the Seismic Retrofitting Code shall be waived by the Building Official. An owner electing to lnstall wall anchors pursuant to the Seismic Retrofitting Code lS also required to structurally alter the building to make it fully comply with the Seismic Retrofitting Code within the time limits set forth herein. oi vision 5.00. Historical Buildings. Buildings designated as historically or architecturally significant landmarks on national, state or local historical registers shall comply with the Seismic Retrofitting Code. At the Building Official's discretion, modifications to the retrofitting standards set forth in the Seismic Retrofittlng Code may be made so long as such modifications are consistent with the provisions of the state Historic Building Code. Division 6.00. Demolition. An owner desiring to demolish a building must nevertheless comply with the provisions of this Code unless such owner receives permission to demolish the building prior to the time limits set forth in Division 4.00 herein for the filing of a permit and the submitting of 8 plans to the Building Official. Such an owner shall submit a Demolition Permit Application to the Building Official and shall meet all of the requirements for demolition imposed by this Code including but not limited to those requirements set forth in Section 9.04.10.16.010 of this Code before such a demolition shall be permitted. Nothing in this section or in the Seismic Retrofitting Code shall be deemed to relieve a building owner of meeting the requirements for demolition of a building imposed by any other applicable law or regulation. Division 7.00. Appeal of Initial Determination. The owner of any building may appeal the Building Official's initial determination that the building is within the scope of this Code to the Building and Safety Commission as the Board of Appeals established by section 204 of the Uniform Administrative Code, as amended and adopted at section 8.04.020 of this Code. Such appeal shall be filed with the Board within sixty (60) days from the date the Seismic Retrofitting Code becomes effective. Any such appeal shall be decided by the Board no later than ninety (90) days after filing and the grounds thereof shall be stated clearly and concisely. Appeals or requests for modifications from any other determinations, orders / or actions by the Building Official pursuant to this Section may be made in accordance with the procedures established in sections 105 and 106 of the Uniform Building Code and Section 204 of the Uniform Administrative Code, as adopted by the city. 9 Division 8.00. Enforcement. If the owner in charge or control of the subject buildlng fails to comply with this Code within any of the time limits set forth herein, the Building Official may order that the entire building be vacated and that the building remain vacated until this Code has been complied with. If compliance has not been initiated within ninety (90) days after the date the building has been ordered vacated or such additional time as may have been granted by the Board of Appeals, the Building Official may (i) commence the building's demolition in accordance with the provisions of Section 203 of the Uniform Building Code and in accordance with the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Bui ld ings , as adopted by the City i or, ( i i) undertake and complete such structural alteration of the building as may be necessary in the sole judgment of the Building Official to cause the building to conform to the earthquake standards specified in the Seismic Retrofitting Code, and to cause a lien for the costs of such structural alteration to be placed against the property. No demolition may occur pursuant to this Oi vision 8.00 without compliance with all city laws and regulations governing demolitions. Division 9.00. Appeal Based on Severe Financial Hardship. The owner of any building may appeal on the basis of severe financial hardship from compliance with this Code. Such appeal shall be filed with the City's Chief Financial Officer no 10 later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the effective date of this Code. Any such appeal shall be decided by the Chief Financial Officer no later than ninety (90) days after filing and the grounds thereof shall be stated clearly and concisely. The burden shall be on the owner to demonstrate conclusively that compliance with this Code shall result in severe financial hardship. Documentary evidence shall be submitted by the owner at the time the appeal is filed and shall clearly demonstrate that compliance wlth thlS Code shall resul t in severe financial hardship. such documentary evidence may include, but shall not be limited to, the owner's tax returns, general ledgers, rental and lease agreements, personal and corporate income and expense records, and any such other financial documents or information as the owner desires to submit for consideration or as the City's Chief Financial Officer deems necessary or desirable in evaluating the owner's claim of hardsh1p. The failure of the owner to provide any financial document or information requested by the Chief Financial Officer shall result in denial of the appeal. Any person denied an appeal by the Chief Financial Officer may appeal the denial to a three person Financial Hardship Appeal Board established by the City Manager. Any such appeal shall be made in writing within ten (10) days of the denial and shall be based on the evidence supplied to the Chief Financial Officer. The Appeal Board may approve or deny 11 any appeal and may relieve an owner from compliance with the requirements of Section 8.04.140, Division 4.00 (A), (B), or (C) of this Chapter, as the Appeal Board in its sole discretion deems financially feasible. The decision of the Financial Hardship Appeal Board shall be final except for judicial review and shall not be appealable to the city Council. The Appeal Board 1S authorized to establish procedures for the processing and consideration of appeals. In any case where a building is exempted from compliance with the Code on the basis of financial hardship, such exemption shall be null and void and of no further force or effect at the time the bU1lding is sold or experiences a major change of occupancy as defined in the Building Code. Division 10.00 Canopies. A pedestrian canopy conforming to the standards developed by the Director of General Services shall be constructed below any URM wall adjacent to any public right of way upon commencement of construction of the structural alterations required by this Section. SECTION 3. Section 8.04.171 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal Code to read as follows: 8.04.171 Reconstruction, Buildings. UAC section and Reinforcement 206(g) added- Repair, of Unreinforced Masonry 12 section 206(g) of the Uniform Administrative Code, 1991 Edition, relating to Repair, Reconstruction, and Reinforcement of Unreinforced Masonry Buildings, is added to read as follows: Division 1.00 Definitions. As used in this Section, the following terms shall be defined as follows: (a) Zone 1. (1) for one-story buildings, the area within 9 feet of a public right-of-way; and, (2) for two- or more story buildings, the area within 20 feet of a public right of way. (b) Zone 2. All areas not in Zone 1. Division 2.00 Scope. The owner of each building within the scope of this Section shall, within the time limits set forth in this Section, cause the building to be altered to conform to the earthquake standards specified in this section. Nothing in this Section shall allow for an extension or exemption from Section 8.04.140 of the Municipal Code. Division 3.00 Standards for Repair, Reconstruction, and Reinforcement of unreinforced Masonry ("URMII) Buildings. (a) General. (1) within 60 days of the date notice to the property owner is provided by the City, the property owner of any URM structure damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake or its aftershocks, shall submit to the Building and Safety Division a report prepared by a licensed engineer, identifying the extent of damage to the structure and the 13 necessary repairs. Necessary repairs shall be made within 18 months from the date the notice is provided by the city. (2) Except as provided in subsection (c), when any portion of a URM building such as a parapet, wall or other element has failed or collapsed, repairs shall be made with wood frame or steel construction, or other material structurally compatible w1th the unreinforced masonry. Reinforced masonry and concrete shall not be considered structurally compatible with the underlying unrein forced masonry. Repairs shall be made within 18 months of the effective date of this Ord1nance. (b) Parapets. (1) Parapets Damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Any URM parapet or portion thereof damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake or its aftershocks, with 10 percent or more of damage on any side, or where the cost of repair exceeds $50,000, shall be braced within 18 months of the effective date of this Ordinance in accordance with the Uniform Building Code in effect at the time a building permit is issued. (2) Reinforcement of Unreinforced Masonry Parapets. Any URM parapet, or portion thereof, located within Zone 1, shall be braced to the roof in accordance with the Uniform Building Code in effect at the time the building permit is issued, within 18 months of the effective date of this Ordinance, or as part of any earthquake repair building 14 permit, whichever occurs first. For parapets located in Zone 2, all parapets shall be braced according to the timetable for making structural alterations contained in Division 4.00 of Section 8.04.140. (c) Walls. (1) Any unreinforced masonry wall damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake or its aftershocks, with less than ten percent of cracking on any elevation where the wall remains connected to the floor and ceiling and the wall remains in plane, may be repaired with grout or epoxy and shall be repaired within 18 months of the effective date of this Ordinance. (2) If any unreinforced masonry wall damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northr1dge earthquake or lts aftershocks has any elevation out of plane, but by less than two percent, a review and analysis by a licensed engineer is required to determine the extent of damage and the necessary work to repair the damage. Such analysis shall be submitted to the City within six months of the effective date of this Ordinance. Repairs shall be completed within 18 months of the effective date of this Ordinance. (3) If any unreinforced masonry wall damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake or its aftershocks has any elevation out of plane by more than two percent, the entire wall shall be removed to the next available horizontal or vertical structural boundary. 15 Cd) Vacant URM Structures located in Zone 1. Any portion of a vacant URM structure located in Zone 1 which was damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake or its aftershocks, where the cost of repair exceeds $10,000, shall be structurally supported within 18 months of the effective date of this Ordinance. Division 4.00 Historical Buildings. Buildings designated as historically or architecturally significant landmarks on national, state or local historical registers shall comply with this section. At the Building Official's discretion, modifications to the standards set forth in this Section may be made on a case by case basis, so long as such modifications are consistent with the provlsions of the state Historical Building Code. SECTION 4. Section 8.04.172 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal Code to read as follows: 8.04.172 UAC section 206(h) added- Repair, and Reinforcement of potentially Hazardous Reconstruction, structures. section 206(h) of the Uniform Administrative Code, 1991 Edition, relating to Repair, Reconstruction, and Reinforcement of Potentially Hazardous Buildings, is added to read as follows: 16 Division 1.00 Definitions. As used in this section, the following terms shall be defined as follows: (a) Non Ductile Precast Concrete Building. Any structure designed and constructed with concrete elements that are cast in other than their final position. (b) Non Ductile Reinforced Concrete Building. structure designed and constructed with poured in reinforced concrete. Any place (c) Soft story Building. Any structure or portion of a structure classified as soft story in the Uniform Building Code as adopted by the City of Santa Monica. (d) Steel Frame Building. Any structure designed or constructed with steel frame elements of load bearing and lateral load resistance systems. Division 2.00 Determination of Occupant Load and Buildinq Type. For purposes of this section, the occupant load of each structure shall be determined by the Building Official in accordance with the Uniform Building Code as adopted by the City of Santa Monica and shall be applicable to both vacant and occupied structures. For purposes of this Section, the structure type shall be as defined in the Earthquake Design Section of the Uniform Building Code as adopted by the City of Santa Monica. Division 3.00 Scope. The owner of any structure identified in this section shall, within the time limits set forth in this Section, cause the structure to be evaluated, 17 repaired or retrofitted to conform to the criteria specified in this Section. Division 4.00 Soft story Construction. (a) Within 120 days of the effective date of this Ordinance, the owner of any soft story structure damaged by the January 17, 1994 Earthquake or its aftershocks, where the cost of repair is less than 50% of the replacement value of the structure, shall submit an engineering report prepared by a licensed engineer ("engineering report II ) to the Building and Safety Division. The report shall be based on a non-rotational lateral analysis and shall demonstrate whether the building complies with the Earthquake Des1gn Standards contained in the Uniform Building Code in effect at the time the structural engineering report is submitted to the city. If the report concludes the structure does not comply with the standards, the structure shall be strengthened within the timelines of Division 7.00 of this section and according to the following standards: (1) Calculated story drift shall not exceed 0.04/Rw or 0.005 times the story height for structures having a fundamental per iod of less than 0.7 seconds. For structures having a fundamental period of 0.7 second or greater, the calculated story drift shall not exceed O.03/Rw or 0.004 times the story height. (2) Use K=2. 1, the buckling factor for a cantilever column, for the design of the steel columns. 18 (3) Do not allow the principle of diaphragm rotation in wood frame buildings to dlstribute the design lateral force(s). (b) Within 120 days of notice to the owner by the City, the owner of any soft story structure not damaged by the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake or its aftershocks, shall submit an engineering report to the Building and Safety Division. The report shall be based on a non-diaphragm rotational lateral analysis and shall demonstrate whether the structure conforms to the Earthquake Design Standards contained in the Uniform BU11ding Code as adopted by the City of Santa Monica. If the report concludes the structure does not comply with the standards, the structure shall be strengthened within the timelines of Divis10n 7.00 of this Section and according to the standards listed in subsection (a) above. Division 5.00 Tilt-up Buildings Constructed to Pre-1976 Building Code. within 275 days of the date of notice to the owner by the city, the owner of any Tilt-Up building constructed to pre-1976 Buildlng Code standards shall submit an engineering report to the Building and Safety Division. The report shall demonstrate whether the structure conforms to the Earthquake Design standards contained in the Uniform Building Code in effect at the time the report is submitted to the city. If the report concludes the structure does not comply with the standards, the structure shall be strengthened 19 to comply with the standards within the timelines of Division 7.00 of this section. Division 6.00 Non Ductile Reinforced Concrete and Non Ductile Pre-Cast Concrete structures. Within 275 days of the date of notice to the owner by the city, the owner of any non ductile reinforced concrete or non ductile pre-cast concrete structure shall submit an engineering report to the Building and Safety Division. For structures over three stories in height, the report shall be based upon a dynamic lateral-force analysis and for structures three stories or less, the report shall be based upon a straight lateral load analysis. The report shall demonstrate whether the structure conforms to the Earthquake Design Standards contained in the Uniform Building Code in effect at the time the report is submitted to the city. If the report concludes that the structure does not comply with the standards, the structure shall be strengthened to comply with the standards within the timelines of Division 7.00 of this Section. 20 Division 7.00 Timetable for compliance. Required Bldg. File for Perrnl..t Commence Complete Act loon by Type and SubmJ.t Plans Constructl..on Construction Owner to BUl..ld1.ng wl..th1.n w1.thin Offl..c1.al withl..n Make I 60 days from 150 days from 1 year from alterat1.one date of eng. date of eng. date of eng. to strengthen subm1ttal submittal rpt. submittal rpt. rpt. structure II 180 days from 270 days from 2 years from date of eng. date of eng. date of eng. rpt. subm1ttal rpt. submittal rpt. submittal III 1!s years from 1 year 8 mos. 3 years from date of eng. from date of date of eng. rpt. submittal eng. rpt. rpt. submittal submittal IV 2 years 5 mos. 2 years 8 mos. 4 years from from date of from date of date of eng. eng. rpt. eng. rpt. rpt. submittal submittal submittal Notwithstanding the above, as to any soft story structure with occupied square footage other than parking or storage on the first floor of the building, construction shall be 21 completed within 2 years from date of engineering report submittal. For purposes of this section IIdate of engineering report submittal" shall be either that date upon which the report was due to be submitted to the City, or the date of actual submittal to the City, whichever is earlier. Division 8.00 Historical Buildings. Buildings designated as historically or architecturally significant landmarks on national, state or local historical registers shall comply with this Section. At the BU1lding Official's discretion, modifications to the standards set forth in this section may be made on a case by case basis, so long as such modifications are conslstent with the provlsions of the State Historical Building Code. SECTION 5. section 8.04.173 is hereby added to the Santa Monica Municipal Code to read as follows: 8.04.173 UAC section 206 (i) added- Bracing of Water Heaters. section 206(i) of the Uniform Administrative Code, 1991 Edition, relating to Bracing of Water Heaters, is added to read as follows: Water Heaters. Prior to any building sale after the effective date of this Ordinance, or as part of any building permit or inspection carried out by the Building and Safety Division, all water heaters shall be braced in conformance 22 with the minimum standards established by the Building and Safety Division. SECTION 6. The City Council finds pursuant to City Charter Section 615 that this Ordinance is necessary for preserving the public peace, health and safety, and the urgency for its adoption is set forth in the findings above. SECTION 7. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto, ~nconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, are hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance. In the event of any conflict between the provisions of this Ordinance, and any other city adopted interim or emergency ordinance, including the Earthquake Recovery Act, the provisions of this ordinance shall prevail. SECTION 8. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of any competent jurisdiction, such dec1sion shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. The city Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional 23 without regard to whether any portion of the Ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional. SECTION 9. The Mayor shall slgn and the city Clerk shall attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall be effective upon its adoption. APPROVED AS TO FORM: ~ A '---." /1 I . < I J1/ _>. ' f i{.fL...&J LA- .~ / U-Ct{~ MARSHA JON~ MOUTRIE City Attorney 24 . . Adopted and approved this 21st day of June, 1994. ~lgf~A I hereby certify that the foregomg Ordinance No. 1748 (CCS) was duly and regularly adopted at a meeting of The City Council on the 21st day of June, 1994; by the following Council vote. Ayes: Councilmembers: Abdo, Genser, Greenberg, Holbrook, Olsen, Rosenstein Noes: Councilmembers: None Abstain: Councilmembers. None Absent' Councilmembers: Vazquez ATTEST: _~i;fi;~/4~ City Clerk