O2462City Council Meeting: July 8, 2014
ORDINANCE NUMBER 2462 (CCS)
(City Council Series)
Santa Monica, California
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
AMENDING SECTION 8.60.060 OF THE SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE TO
ELIMINATE PERMIT FEE WAIVERS FOR SEISMIC RETROFITTING OF
UNREINFORCED MASONRY BEARING WALL BUILDINGS
WHEREAS, the City consists of just eight square miles of coastal land which is
home to 90,000 residents, the job site of 300,000 workers, and a destination for as
many as 500,000 visitors on weekends and holidays; and
WHEREAS, there is general scientific consensus that California will continue to
experience moderate to severe earthquakes in the foreseeable future; and
WHEREAS, The Safety Element of the General Plan shows high risk of seismic
activity in the City due to the close proximity of the Santa Monica - Malibu Coast fault, the
Newport- Inglewood fault and the San Andreas Fault; and
WHEREAS, retrofitting of older buildings, especially Unreinforced Masonry
Bearing Wall Buildings, enhances their survivability in a seismic event and has the
potential to save thousands of lives; and
WHEREAS, seismic retrofitting of individual buildings provide specific economic
and other benefits to the building owners; and
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WHEREAS, diverting public funds to pay permit fees for private seismic retrofit
projects is inconsistent with the City's general policy that public funds be expended to
provide general public benefit.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 8.60.060 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code is hereby
amended to read as follows:
8.60.060 Timetable for compliance.
The time limits set forth below shall begin to run from September 29,
1992, or from initial determination, whichever is later. The owner of any occupied or
vacant building within the scope of this Chapter shall comply with the requirements of
this Chapter by filing for a permit, submitting plans to the Building Officer, commencing
construction and completing construction within the time limits specified below:
Such plans shall be prepared by a State of California licensed architect or
registered civil or structural engineer. After plans are filed and approved by the Building
Officer, the owner shall obtain a building permit and then commence and complete the
required construction within the time limits set forth below.
An owner electing to install wall anchors pursuant to the provisions of this
Chapter is also required to structurally alter the building to make it fully comply with all
other provisions of this Chapter within the time limits set forth in Table 8.60 -A below.
File for Permit and
Commence Complete
Construction Construction
Within Within
270 days 1 year
2 years 4 years
Type II
Submit Plans to
Required Action
Building
Building Officer
by Owner
Type
Within
A. Install wall
Type I, II, III,
180 days
anchors
IV
10 years
B. If wall anchors
Type I
635 days (1 year 9
are installed, then
months)
make structural
2,825 days (7 years
8 years
alterations
Commence Complete
Construction Construction
Within Within
270 days 1 year
2 years 4 years
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto, inconsistent 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.
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Type II
635 days (1 year 9
2 years
4 years
months)
Type III
2,825 days (7 years
8 years
10 years
9 months)
Type IV
2,825 days (7 years
8 years
10 years
9 months)
C. If wall anchors
Type 1
270 days
1 year
2 years
are not installed,
then make
structural
alterations
Type 11
270 days
1 year
2 years
Type III
1,000 days (2 years
3 years
4 years
9 months)
Type IV
1,365 days (3 years
4 years
5 years
9 months)
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices
thereto, inconsistent 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.
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SECTION 3. 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 decision 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 without regard to whether any
portion of the Ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage
of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause this ordinance, or a summary thereof to
be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This
Ordinance shall become effective 30 days from its adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
MA SHA JO S MOUT E
City orney'
0
Approved and adopted this 8t" day of July, 2014.
/f-Jl��^
am O'Connor, Mayor
State of California )
County of Los Angeles ) ss.
City of Santa Monica )
I, Sarah P. Gorman, City Clerk of the City of Santa Monica, do hereby certify that
the foregoing Ordinance No. 2462 (CCS) had its introduction on June 24, 2014,
and was adopted at the Santa Monica City Council meeting held on July 8, 2014,
by the following vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Davis, Holbrook, McKeown, Vazquez, Winterer
Mayor O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tern O'Day
Noes: Councilmembers: None
Absent: Councilmembers: None
A summary of Ordinance No. 2460 (CCS) was duly published pursuant to
California Government Code Section 40806 .
ATTEST:
sd: -A A V
Sar ha Gorman, City Clerk