Building Inspection Commission unanimously forwards soft-story retrofit report to mayor

The Building Inspection Commission on Monday voted unanimously to forward a draft report titled "Preventing a Catastrophe," the Community Action Plan for Seismic Safety (CAPS) Task 6 product, to the mayor with the commission's comments and a request to pursue incentives and cross-departmental measures.

Laurence Kornfield, Chief Building Inspector and acting manager of the Permit Services Section, told the commission the draft responds to a long-standing concern about large wood-frame buildings with weakened ground floors known as "soft stories." He said the Applied Technology Council'led study found many of the city's 3+ story, 5+ unit wood-frame buildings with potential soft-story vulnerabilities could be unoccupiable after a major earthquake and that a substantial share of them face a risk of collapse if unstrengthened.

"These buildings represent a significant hazard not just to occupants but to the community," Kornfield said, urging the commission to support a two-part approach: immediate incentives to encourage voluntary upgrades and a mandatory retrofit program phased in after environmental review and public processes.

Tom Tobin of the Applied Technology Council, one of the report authors, said the draft will be revised to incorporate public and advisory committee comments and that staff expects a new version by the end of the month. Commissioners praised the committee process: the commission'appointed Code Advisory Committee reviewed the draft and voted unanimously to support it.

Discussion from commissioners and members of the public focused on how to make retrofit requirements fair and achievable. Commissioners asked staff to prioritize protections for small "mom-and-pop" property owners and to seek financing that would not impose unreasonable burdens. Several speakers urged repurposing remaining funds from the city's prior unreinforced masonry (UMB) bond program to seed loans and grants for soft-story retrofits; staff noted there remains a significant principal in that fund, estimated in the presentation at roughly $280'$315 million, and recommended evaluating whether those resources could be made more accessible.

The commission also discussed tenant impacts during retrofit work. Henry Cardenalowicz of the Code Advisory Committee warned that accessibility rules (ADA) and other triggers could unintentionally displace small corner businesses unless the program addresses those consequences.

After public comment and additional discussion, a commissioner moved and another seconded forwarding the report with the commission's comments to the mayor. The roll-call vote was unanimous; the chair announced the motion carried.

The commission asked staff to fold public and advisory comments into a final draft and requested that the Mayor's Office consider cross-department incentives, such as planning code flexibility or targeted financing, to lower barriers for owners who might otherwise not invest in retrofits. Staff indicated the department is seeking further public input and expected to finalize a draft for mayoral review by the end of the month.