DBI reports high compliance on soft‑story retrofits, outlines façade program and upcoming concrete‑building screening

Mary Wilkinson Church of the Department of Building Inspection presented updates on the department’s Technical Services Division compliance programs. She said the soft‑story seismic retrofit program covers 4,941 buildings and has reached a 94% completion rate; 293 buildings remain out of compliance for that program. "We have met a completion rate of 94%, and that is 4,648 buildings that have complied," she told commissioners.

On the Accessible Business Entrance (ABE) program, Church said 23,533 buildings are subject to the rule, 83% have started or completed the compliance process and a minority of buildings have requested exceptions or claimed technical or financial hardship. She noted the department has seen relatively few unreasonable hardship appeals submitted as formal permit applications to date.

Church also summarized the façade inspection and maintenance program deadlines and current compliance percentages, and said DBI has been coordinating with the Office of Resiliency and Capital Planning on a new concrete building seismic evaluation program. ‘‘Drafts are completed for both the standards and the legislation,’’ she said, and DBI anticipates introduction to the Board of Supervisors in the new year with screening likely to begin in summer 2025.

Commissioners asked how noncompliant buildings are referred to enforcement; Church said the department is building an automated MIS flag to alert code‑enforcement inspectors and that notices-of-violation and referral counts can be provided to the commission. The commission asked staff to supply NV counts and further details on the façade and balcony inspection intersections with existing housing‑code obligations.