§ 12.340

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 buildings. Such buildings have been widely recognized for sustaining life-hazardous damage, including partial or complete collapse during moderate to strong earthquakes. 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. 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. This chapter provides systematic procedures and standards for identification and classification of unreinforced masonry buildings based on their present use. Priorities, time periods and standards are also established under which these buildings are required to be structurally analyzed and repaired. Qualified historical buildings shall comply with the State Historical Building Code (SHBC) established under Part 8, Title 24 of the California Administrative Code.

(Ord. No. 1974, div. 1, 11-18-2019)

The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all buildings which on the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter have unreinforced masonry bearing walls as defined in this chapter.

The building official, or his authorized representative, shall create and maintain a list of the existing unreinforced masonry buildings in the city. This list shall be kept current and additions and deletions of buildings from this list shall be made at any time changes in building status are determined.

Exception: This chapter shall not apply to detached one (1) family or two (2) family dwellings, detached apartment houses containing less than five (5) dwelling units and which are used solely for residential purposes, and warehouses.

(Ord. No. 1974, div. 1, 11-18-2019)

For purposes of this chapter, the applicable definitions in the Uniform Building Code shall also apply (for the purposes of this chapter, all references to the Uniform Building Code shall refer to the 1985 Edition):

"Essential building" means any building housing a hospital or other medical facility having surgery or emergency treatment areas; fire or police stations; municipal government disaster operation and communication centers.

2.

"High risk building" means any building, not classified as an essential building, having an occupant load of one hundred (100) or more, as determined by Section 3302(a).

Exception: A high risk building shall not include the following:

i.

Any building having exterior walls braced with masonry cross walls or wood frame cross walls spaced less than forty feet (40′) apart in each story. Cross walls shall be defined as walls having full story height with a minimum length of one and one-half (1½) times the story height;

ii.

Any building used for its intended purpose, as determined by the building official, for less than twenty (20) hours per week.

3.

"Medium risk building" means any building, not classified as a high risk building or an essential building, having an occupant load of fifty (50) occupants or more as determined by Section 3302(a).

4.

"Low risk building" means any building, not classified as an essential building, having an occupant load of less than fifty (50) occupants as determined by Section 3302(a).

5.

"Open front" is an exterior building wall plane on one (1) side only without vertical elements of the lateral force resisting system in one (1) or more stories.

6.

"Pointing" is the partial reconstruction of the bed joints of an unreinforced masonry wall as defined in U.B.C. Standard No. 24.42.

7.

"Unreinforced masonry bearing wall" is a wall which provides the vertical support for a floor or roof for which the total superimposed load exceeds one hundred (100) pounds per linear foot of wall.

(Ord. No. 1974, div. 1, 11-18-2019)

12.340.040 - Rating classifications.

The rating classifications shown in Table No. 12.340.040A below are established and each building within the scope of this chapter shall be placed in one (1) such rating classification by the building official. The total occupant load of the entire building as determined by Section 3302(a) shall be used to determine the rating classification.

Exception: For the purpose of this chapter, any buildings, portions of which are constructed to act independently when resisting seismic forces, may be placed in separate rating classifications.

TABLE 12.340.040A

Rating Classifications

(Ord. No. 1974, div. 1, 11-18-2019)

All buildings subject to the provisions of this chapter shall be seismically strengthened as follows:

1.

Parapet bracing shall be provided except where adjacent structures will prevent parapets from falling away from buildings.

2.

Floors and roofs shall be anchored to their supporting walls.

3.

Open fronts shall be seismically braced.

4.

Mortar joints shall be pointed.

5.

Any special site-specific conditions felt by the building official of the designer to be an immediate hazard to public health and safety shall be corrected.

The design standard for compliance with the items listed in this section shall be in conformance with subsection (d) of this section.

Should a property owner wish to strengthen his building beyond the requirements of this section, such additional work shall comply with the requirements of subsection (d) of this section.

Unreinforced masonry buildings to be strengthened pursuant to items (1) through (5) of this section and subsection (c) of this section shall be designed and repaired in compliance with the applicable sections of Appendix Chapter 1 of the 1991 Edition of the Uniform Code for Building Conservation or other recognized standards acceptable to the building official. Deviations from these standards may be made if, in the opinion of the structural engineer and the building official, compliance with the standards would result in extreme hardship and the deviations are not likely to result in damage from earthquake forces that would injure occupants or passersby.

(Ord. No. 1974, div. 1, 11-18-2019)

Service of Order. The building official shall issue an order to the owner of each building within the scope of this chapter in accordance with the maximum time periods for service of such orders set forth in Table 12.340.060 A. The maximum time period for the service of such orders shall be measured from the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter.

TABLE 12.340.060A

Service Priorities

12.340.060.1 Time Limits for Compliance. The owner of a building within the scope of this chapter shall comply with the requirements set forth above by submitting to the building official:

a.

Within two hundred seventy (270) days after the service of the order, a structural analysis, which is subject to approval by the building official, and which shall demonstrate that the building meets the minimum requirements of this chapter; or

b.

Within two hundred seventy (270) days after the service of the order, a structural analysis, plans, and a building permit application for the proposed structural alterations of the building necessary to comply with the minimum requirements of this chapter; or

c.

Within two hundred seventy (270) days after the service of the order, plans for the demolition of the building.

12.340.060.2 After plans are submitted and approved by the building official, the owner shall obtain a building permit and commence and complete the required construction or demolition within the time limits set forth in Table 12.340.060 B. These time limits shall commence from the date the order is served in accordance with this section.

TABLE 12.340.060B

Compliance Time Limits

12.340.060.3 Contents of Order. The order shall be in writing and shall be served by certified or registered mail upon the owner as shown on the last equalized assessment, and upon the person, if any, in apparent charge or control of the building. The order shall specify that the building has been determined by the building official to be within the scope of this chapter and, therefore, is required to meet the minimum seismic standards of this chapter. The order shall specify the rating classification of the building and shall be accompanied by a copy of Sections 12.340.5 and 12.340.6 which set forth the owner's alternatives and time limits for compliance.

pecify that the building has been determined by the building official to be within the scope of this chapter and, therefore, is required to meet the minimum seismic standards of this chapter. The order shall specify the rating classification of the building and shall be accompanied by a copy of Sections 12.340.5 and 12.340.6 which set forth the owner's alternatives and time limits for compliance.

12.340.060.4 Appeal from Order. The owner of the building may appeal to the city council, sitting as the board of appeals, the building official's initial determination that the building is within the scope of this chapter. Such appeal shall be filed with the board within sixty (60) days from the service date of the order described in Section 12.340.6. Any such appeal shall be decided by the board no later than sixty (60) days after the date that the appeal is filed. The appeal shall be made in writing upon appropriate forms provided therefor, by the building official and the grounds thereof shall be state clearly and concisely. Filing of an appeal hereunder shall toll the time periods specified in subsection (b) of this section.

Each appeal shall be accompanied by a filing fee as set forth by resolution of the city council. Appeals or requests for slight modifications from any other determinations, orders or actions by the building official pursuant to this chapter, shall be made in accordance with the normal appeal procedures established in this code.

12.340.060.5 Recordation. At the time that the order is served, the building official shall file with the office of the county recorder a certificate stating that the subject building is within the scope of Chapter 12.340, Unreinforced Masonry Building Mitigation Program. The certificate shall also indicate that the owner thereof has been ordered to structurally analyze the building and to structurally alter or demolish it where it is not found to comply with Chapter 12.340.

If the building is found not to be within the scope of this chapter, or as a result of structural alterations 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 Chapter 12.34, Unreinforced Masonry Building Mitigation Program.

12.340.060.6 Program Status Reports to the City Council. The building official may submit an annual report to the city council on the status of the unreinforced masonry building mitigation.

(Ord. No. 1974, div. 1, 11-18-2019)

Chapter 12.345 - WOOD-BURNING APPLIANCES