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Council Meeting 03/24/81
STAFF REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Attorney
Santa Monica, California
SUBJECT: Amending the Uniform Administrative Code to Include
a Seismic Safety Provision.
INTROAUCTION
This report transmits for first reading a proposed
ordinance amending the Uniform Admnstrat~ve'.Code tafincl~?r~e
a seismic safety provision as requested by Council on
February 25, 1981 and amended on March 10, 1981
BACKGROUND
When the Uniform Adminstrative Codes and Technical Construc-
tion Codes were adopted in, September 1.980, sections pertaining ;to
fire safety and seismic safety were left blank and reserved for
future use. The Council planned to form a Fire and Safety Seismic
Task Force, but prior to doing so they appointed a Seismic Tech-
nical Committee. The purpose of this committee, composed of the
Building Officer, a Building and Safety Commissioner and a
Seismologist, was to determine an minimum life safety standard
for pre-1934 unreinforced masonry building. Their report, divided
into a majority and minority opinion, was presented at the
February 24, 1981 meeting. Council concurred with the minority
opinion and passed a motion to adopt the seismic safety section
with an exception for certain pre-1934 unreinforced masonry
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buildings. On March 10, 1981, when this proposed ordinance was
presented, Council requested that it be redrafted to exc~~ude the
rehabilitation requirements and to apply only to pre°1915 buildings.
The proposed ordinance simply states that any buildings built
prior to 1915 must be certified in writing by a licensed architect
or engineer that (1) the roof and caalls are tied and anchored
and (2) the parapets are anchored. The standard for this is either
the 1915 or 1921 Santa Monica Building Code.
ALTERNATIVES
The Council may introduce, amend or reject the proposed
ordinance. The Council may introduce the ordinance or send
it back to the Building and Safety Corunission for further study.
RECOMMENDATI
It is respectfully recommended .that the the City Council
carefully consider the impact of this ordinance and if they
are confident that a 1915 or 1921 building standard is sufficiently
safe, then introduce the ordinance.
Prepared by: Stephen Shane Stark, Acting City Attorney
Lyn Beckett Cacciatore, Deputy City Attorney
FJilliam Rome, Building Officer
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DATE: March 24, 1981
MAR 2 4 1981
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Landmarks Commission Staff
SUBJECT: Seismic Safety Ordinance
At their meeting of March 17, 1981, the Landmarks Commission voted by a
unanimous voice vote to recommend to City Council that landmarks buildings
have a longer time to comply with the Seismic Safety Ordinance than other
buildings, and that rather than requiring demolition of non-complying
buildings, the ordinance should require reduction or prohibition of
occupancy as the sanction for non-compliance following the deadline rather
than mandatory immediate demolition following the deadline.
Prepared by: Nancy Desser, Planning Aide
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MAR 2 4 1981