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City planners brief commission on proposed mandatory soft‑story retrofit ordinance to protect renters and older buildings
Summary
Mayor’s Office of Earthquake Safety presented a proposed mandatory retrofit ordinance for pre‑1978 wood‑frame soft‑story buildings (five or more units, three or more stories), outlining phased compliance tiers, outreach and financing options; staff said minimal tenant relocation is expected and public and private financing avenues will be available.
City and building‑safety officials briefed the Planning Commission on a proposed mandatory soft‑story retrofit ordinance aimed at reducing earthquake collapse risk in older wood‑frame multiunit buildings.
The presentation by Patrick O’Tellini, Director of Earthquake Safety, outlined the program’s scope: preliminary outreach would begin by sending screening notices to wood‑frame buildings built before 1978 that have three or more stories and five or more residential units. Based on initial data, about 4,500 buildings meet the screening criteria and approximately 3,000 are expected to require retrofit work.
How it would work: Owners would have one year to complete a simplified screening by a licensed architect or engineer; buildings would be placed into one of four compliance tiers based on occupancy and risk factors and given between four and seven years to complete retrofits. Tiering prioritizes buildings housing vulnerable populations and higher‑occupancy properties.
Financing and tenant protections: Staff described a multifaceted financing strategy that includes a public financing mechanism (a discrete opt‑in Mello‑Roos–style district similar to the city’s green financing program), private‑bank loans and streamlined access to historic‑preservation grants when applicable. O’Tellini and staff said the program aims to avoid tenant displacement during retrofit work and will coordinate with the Rent Board and tenant advocates; most work occurs at perimeter walls or parking areas and can often proceed without relocating residents.
Questions and next steps: Commissioners asked about interactions with historic preservation review, insurance market responses, and whether one‑ to two‑unit owner‑occupied buildings would be covered in later phases. Staff said the ordinance language reserves opt‑out pathways through the screening form and that coordination with the Historic Preservation Commission, DBI and Planning staff is underway.
