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Supervisors advance concept to remove select local building amendments, keep seismic and accessibility rules
Summary
The board conceptually approved deleting a few local building-code amendments (concrete/loft provisions) while retaining amendments addressing seismic reinforcement, gas-shutoff valves, door widths and accessibility; staff will pursue outreach to stakeholders and return for final adoption May 19.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing April 28 and conceptually approved an ordinance to delete certain local technical amendments to the county doption of the 2025 California Building Standards Code while retaining other locally justified provisions.
Planning staff reviewed local amendments and recommended keeping measures tied to local climatic, geologic and topographic conditions — including seismic reinforcing requirements, automated gas shutoff valves for quakes, and limits on wood foundations/wood-supported retaining walls — and retaining accessibility-promoting doorway-width language for new construction. Staff argued those technical amendments respond to local hazards and accessibility needs.
Staff recommended deletion of three local amendments where the current statewide building-code requirements were judged adequate: two concrete-related provisions and an older loft-safety clause. The board directed staff to circulate the proposed contract and scope to consultant and stakeholder groups and asked that the housing advisory commission and a newly formed contractor stakeholder group review the proposed deletions and recommend any further changes.
Supervisor Koenig moved and Supervisor Durpa seconded the concept adoption; the board voted unanimously to proceed and scheduled final adoption for May 19, 2026. Planning staff said a public, multi-step consultant process and outreach will follow before final changes become law.
