Morro Bay Municipal Code Ch. 14.18 Seismic Safety Program

A. The purpose of this chapter is to promote public safety and welfare by reducing the risk of death or injury that may result from the effects of earthquakes on unreinforced masonry-bearing wall buildings constructed prior to the county of San Luis Obispo's adoption of the 1955 Edition of the Uniform Building Code. Such buildings have been widely recognized for sustaining life-hazardous damage, including partial and complete collapse during moderate to strong earthquakes.

B. The provisions of this chapter are intended as minimum standards for structural seismic resistance established primarily to reduce the risk of life loss or injury. Voluntary compliance with these standards will not necessarily prevent loss of life or injury or prevent earthquake damage to rehabilitated buildings. This chapter does not require alteration of existing electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fire safety systems unless they constitute a hazard to life or property.

C. This chapter, in accordance with California Health and Safety Code Sections 19160 through 19169, provides voluntary compliance and standards for identification and classification of unreinforced masonry-bearing wall buildings based on their present use.

(Ord. No. 564, 11-8-10)

Appendix Chapter One of the Uniform Code for Building Conservation and subsequent additions and/or amendments is adopted by reference with the same force and effect as if fully set forth in this section. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all buildings constructed or under construction prior to July 1957, which on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter have unreinforced masonry-bearing walls as defined herein.

Exception: This section shall not apply to detached one-family or two-family dwellings and detached apartment houses containing less than five dwelling units and used solely for residential purposes.

(Ord. No. 564, 11-8-10)

For purposes of this chapter, the applicable definitions in Sections 2302 and 2312 of the 1985 Uniform Building Code (hereinafter 1985 UBC) shall apply. Chapters 23 and 24 of the 1985 Edition of the Uniform Building Code are incorporated herein by reference and adopted for the purposes of this chapter only and made a part hereof as though set forth full herein.

Where the term "building code" is used in Appendix Chapter One of the Uniform Code for Building Conservation, the term shall mean the current edition of the California Building Code as adopted in this title.

A. "Low risk building" means any building, not classified as an essential building, having an occupant load of less than twenty occupants as determined by Section 3302(1) 1985 UBC.

B. "Medium risk building" means any building, not classified as a high risk building or an occupant load of twenty occupants or more as determined by Section 3302(a) 1985 UBC.

C. "Unreinforced masonry-bearing wall" means a wall having all of the following characteristics:

1. Provides the vertical support for a floor or roof;

2. The total superimposed load is over one hundred pounds per linear foot;

3. The area of reinforcing steel is less than twenty-five percent of that required by Section 2407(b) UBC.

(Ord. No. 564, 11-8-10)

The building official shall notify the legal owner of each building within the scope of this chapter that the building is considered to be one of the general type of structures that historically has exhibited little resistance to earthquake motion.

(Ord. No. 564, 11-8-10)

The owner of each building within the scope of this chapter may cause a structural analysis of such building to be made by a civil or structural engineer or architect licensed by the state. If the building does not meet the minimum earthquake standards specified in this chapter, the owner may either cause it to be structurally altered to conform to such standards, or cause the building to be demolished.

(Ord. No. 564, 11-8-10)

A. Service and Order. A final order, to comply with this chapter as provided in subsection B of this section, specifying the rating classification of the building, has been issued by the building official to the owner of each building within the scope of this chapter.

B. Recordation.

1. At the time that the aforementioned order was served, the building official filed on July 15, 1991, with the office of the county recorder, certificates identifying all subject buildings within the scope of this chapter.

2. If any building for which an order under this section was served is found not to be within the scope of this chapter, or as a result of structural alterations or an analysis is found to be structurally capable of resisting minimum seismic forces required by this chapter, or is demolished; the building official shall file with the office of the county recorder a certificate terminating the status of the subject building as being classified within the scope of this chapter.

(Ord. No. 564, 11-8-10)