DATE: June 25, 2019
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Development Services Director
SUBJECT
Title
Introduction of an Ordinance to Establish a Soft Story Seismic Screening Program for Multifamily Residential Buildings and Voluntary Seismic Retrofit Standards for Soft Story Buildings
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the City Council introduces the attached Ordinance (Attachment II) establishing a soft story seismic screening program for multifamily residential buildings and voluntary seismic retrofit standards for soft story buildings.
End
SUMMARY
Multifamily wood frame buildings with soft, weak, or open-front (“soft story”) conditions are at risk of severe damage or collapse in the event of a major earthquake. Staff estimates that approximately 280, pre-1979, five or more unit buildings in Hayward are potential soft story buildings. In the past decade, several California cities (including San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland) have developed soft story retrofit programs to reduce the risk of collapse of soft story buildings in their jurisdictions. During a March 26th work session, Council directed staff to return with an ordinance establishing a mandatory screening program and voluntary retrofit standards for soft story buildings. The proposed ordinance fulfills this direction.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report
Attachment II Ordinance