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Commission probes soft‑story retrofit progress and enforcement as Sept. 15 deadline nears
Summary
DBI managers reported progress on the soft‑story retrofit program (about 4,900 buildings in ordinance: 2,800 permits issued, 1,300 certificates of completion), while engineers and commissioners raised concerns about construction quality, contractor capacity and whether DBI has sufficient enforcement and outreach to meet Tier‑3 deadlines.
DBI staff told the commission the soft‑story retrofit program has made substantial progress but faces capacity and quality-control challenges as upcoming deadlines loom.
"We started in 02/2013...4,900 buildings are in the ordinance. We've issued 2,800 permits and 1,300 certifications of completion," program manager Robert Chun said, outlining plan‑check and quality‑control procedures including 5% senior spot checks, staff training and reliance on third‑party special inspectors.
Deputy Director Ed Sweeney reported 26 spot checks of soft‑story jobs in the prior 30 days and said inspectors found no notices of violation; he emphasized special inspections, third‑party reviews and engineer-of-record letters that must accompany final sign‑offs. But several public commenters and structural engineers urged the commission to demand more data and enforcement: David Bonowitz and others recounted examples of projects issued Certificates of Final Completion that later showed serious defects, and warned that a shortage of qualified engineers and contractors could push owners to hire lower‑quality providers.
Commissioners and DBI staff discussed outreach and enforcement strategies. DBI staff said they are increasing targeted outreach for the remaining properties — approximately 1,600 expected to be submitted by September 15 for Tier 3 — and that they will coordinate with supervisors’ offices in districts with larger numbers of outstanding properties. Staff agreed to assign a senior inspector to conduct ongoing spot checks and to try to produce more detailed enforcement and NOV reporting.
The commission discussed longer-term options — partnering with the Board of Supervisors or other agencies to help owners with financing or technical assistance — and emphasized the need to preserve checks and balances that ensure work is completed correctly.
Next steps: DBI will continue outreach, consider a dedicated senior inspector for ongoing spot checks, and supply follow-up data on compliance and enforcement measures.
