Southern California is currently experiencing its highest seismic activity in decades, yet numerous cities near the recent epicenters of significant earthquakes have yet to implement mandatory retrofits for soft-story apartment buildings that are considered the most vulnerable to collapse, according to a comprehensive investigation conducted by the Times.
The suburbs in closest proximity to the earthquakes that vibrated Los Angeles County this past summer and fall — notably Alhambra, Monterey Park, and South Pasadena — currently have no active initiatives in place to enforce retrofitting of soft-story structures, as revealed through discussions with local officials and a thorough analysis of existing seismic regulations.
In Malibu, which encountered minor quakes in February and September, city officials have recently tallied 37 potential soft-story buildings, identifying them as at risk.
However, local elected officials have yet to release any public statements regarding whether these structures will be subjected to mandatory retrofitting, leaving residents and property owners in a state of uncertainty.
Soft-story apartments, common across California, are characterized by their construction, where the ground floor typically accommodates carports, garages, or retail units. The lower level is supported by slender poles, which can buckle under lateral stress during an earthquake, leading to catastrophic failure.
“These conditions pose a unique risk, exposing buildings to hazardous vulnerabilities,” asserted Garrett Mills, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California.
For residents inhabiting soft-story apartments, municipal boundary lines may ultimately dictate whether their homes will be seismically strengthened. A weak first story has a historically troubling record, with a similar building collapsing on vehicles during the devastating 1994 Northridge earthquake, resulting in fatalities and significant injuries.
Data indicates that cities often see a surge in retrofitting soft-story apartments following the enactment of local ordinances mandating such improvements. For instance, in San Francisco, a staggering 94% of the 4,941 residential structures affected by a soft-story retrofit initiative established in 2013 have since undergone necessary reinforcement, according to Brian Strong, the city’s chief resilience officer. The legislation applies to wood-frame construction buildings that exceed three stories and house five or more residential units.
The city of Beverly Hills, which instituted a mandatory retrofit program in 2018, has made some progress; as of June, only 42 out of 229 soft-story buildings—merely 18%—have not yet undergone retrofitting.
Los Angeles has also made substantial headway with its soft-story retrofitting since the city’s law was enacted in 2015. However, the exact extent of these upgrades is currently under review. Officials reported in their latest update from February that over 9,000 out of approximately 12,000 soft-story buildings had been strengthened, although a recent Times investigation uncovered discrepancies in the data, prompting a reassessment of the numbers.
California authorities have been cognizant of the dangers associated with soft-story structures for generations. The predawn magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake in 1994 resulted in 16 fatalities when the ground floor of the Northridge Meadows apartment collapses, tragically crushing residents as they slept. In total, the seismic event inflicted severe damage on about 200 soft-story buildings throughout the Los Angeles region.
Structural enhancements can incorporate strategies such as the installation of robust steel frames at the base and strengthening the existing walls on the tenuous first story.
Yet, some property owners have raised concerns regarding the imposition of retrofit requirements by city officials, particularly in the absence of supplemental funding to alleviate financial burdens. A recent blog post from the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles labeled mandatory seismic retrofitting as “brutally expensive,” cautioning that such mandates could compel small property owners to sell their assets, further exacerbating the housing crisis.
Officials have proposed that the average cost to retrofit a soft-story building in Los Angeles ranges from $80,000 to $160,000, although costs can fluctuate based on the building’s dimensions.
Advocates argue that undertaking retrofits ought to be perceived as an integral aspect of property ownership, akin to obligations such as roof replacements or modernizing outdated electrical systems. Many long-term owners have likely amassed substantial equity due to evolving property values, and retrofitting would protect their income streams by mitigating damage in the wake of a tremor.
According to a Suffolk University/Los Angeles Times poll from March 2023, residents of Los Angeles displayed overwhelming support for the city’s earthquake retrofit law, countering the notion that financial implications would render such regulations politically unappealing. The survey revealed that more than 80% of L.A. residents endorsed the retrofit legislation, validating the public’s increasing awareness of safety concerns.
“This risk goes beyond merely causing fatalities — as seen in 1994 — but also leads to homelessness during a time when we face a significant homelessness crisis,” remarked seismologist Lucy Jones of Caltech, emphasizing the urgent need for protective measures following an August earthquake of magnitude 4.4 centered in El Sereno.
Thus far in 2023, Southern California has recorded an unprecedented 15 separate sequences of seismic activity featuring earthquakes of magnitude 4 or higher, marking this as the highest tally in the past 65 years, exceeding the 13 recorded in 1988.
In South Pasadena, a city with a population of 26,000, building official Dennis Tarango mentioned that they currently have no initiatives to compile a list of soft-story apartment structures or assess the necessity for mandatory retrofits.
This approach is a departure from previous efforts; before leaving office in 2018, the city’s long-serving planning director, David Watkins, had intentions to establish a registry of seismically vulnerable properties. Although the strategic plan released in late 2021 indicated potential inventory work, the city ultimately opted against pursuing the initiative due to resource limitations.
Both Alhambra, home to around 82,000 individuals, and Monterey Park, with a population of approximately 60,000, mirror South Pasadena’s stance, with officials stating that neither city has enacted retrofit ordinances for soft-story apartments at this time. Following similar lines, Andrew Ho and Jessica Serrano, community development heads for Alhambra and Monterey Park respectively, asserted that they are monitoring actions taken in neighboring municipalities to evaluate the potential need for comparable measures.
Representatives from Malibu have communicated that city building official Yolanda Bundy is currently collaborating with other jurisdictions that have implemented retrofit ordinances to glean insights on their successes, challenges, and best practices, intending to shape Malibu’s future strategy.
Presently, more than a half dozen cities in Southern California, including Los Angeles, Torrance, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Culver City, and West Hollywood, have mandated retrofitting of soft-story apartment buildings. In Northern California, cities such as San José, San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley are also instituting similar requirements.
The drive for mandatory retrofitting efforts, however, is not universal, as most other Californian cities still lack requirements for such upgrades.
Conversely, some jurisdictions have recently advanced their measures. In September, the San José city council unanimously approved a comprehensive mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance set to become effective on April 1, launching an 18-month screening process for owners of at-risk structures.
Similarly, the Burbank City Council voted unanimously in September to advance a mandatory soft-story retrofit law, pending a second vote scheduled for December 10. The city, with a population of approximately 105,000, has identified around 675 soft-story residential buildings to address.
“Our goal is to save lives,” asserted Mario Osuna, Burbank’s building official and assistant community development director, emphasizing the importance of proactive seismic safety initiatives following a voluntary program that yielded minimal progress since its inception in 1998.
In Los Angeles County, supervisors have mandated a comprehensive inventory for soft-story apartment buildings both under county ownership and in unincorporated regions affecting over a million residents. This initiative is anticipated to conclude by 2026, as outlined by the county Department of Public Works.
If a mandatory soft-story apartment retrofit law comes to fruition in the unincorporated regions, officials in Alhambra will consider whether to adopt similar regulations based on the findings.
A law passed in the city of Los Angeles in 2015 mandates retrofitting for soft-story buildings of two or more stories, provided they are constructed with wood frames and include ground-floor parking or open spaces on the first floor. This law excludes buildings with three or fewer residential units used solely for housing. Structures must be retrofitted within seven years after an order to comply is issued, which means some properties faced deadlines that have already passed.
Long Beach has made strides, compiling a preliminary list of soft-story buildings and launching outreach meetings to educate stakeholders about potential risks if proactive steps are not taken. Although the exact number is uncertain, officials estimate there may be approximately 3,000 soft-story residences in the city.
“We have also alerted property owners regarding our concerns about the seismic vulnerabilities of their buildings,” stated David Khorram, Long Beach’s superintendent of building and safety.
The city plans to present the draft list for public review early next year, following input from property owners, with the hope that this effort will encourage voluntary fortification of these structures.
Smaller cities have also recognized the urgent need for retrofitting, with Albany’s city council passing an ordinance focused on mandatory retrofits in 2023, anticipated to influence approximately 150 apartment buildings containing a total of 800 units.
“The risk of a major earthquake is undeniable; it’s simply a matter of time,” commented Michelle Plouse, a community development analyst for Albany, underlining the municipality’s heightened awareness of seismic vulnerabilities.
In Burlingame, an affluent city neighboring San Francisco International Airport, officials are aware of the potential soft-story risks, as around 140 such buildings line the main thoroughfare, El Camino Real. A committee has been instated to evaluate the implications of possible action, emphasizing a calculated approach to address seismic safety concerns.
Alternatively, some municipalities have encountered hurdles in their retrofitting initiatives. Mountain View, a vital center in Silicon Valley, halted its earthquake retrofit program in 2021, citing inadequate funding and staff resources.
Palo Alto’s discussions surrounding soft-story apartments have spanned multiple years, with the identification of 294 such structures taking place in 2016. Upcoming city council discussions will determine whether the city will engage engineering consultants to revise its inventory and propose a structured combination of voluntary and mandatory measures based on necessity, with expectations for completion within the forthcoming months.
### Interview with Garrett Mills, President of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California
### Interview with Garrett Mills, President of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Garrett. As Southern California faces its highest seismic activity in decades, can you explain the vulnerabilities associated with soft-story apartment buildings?
**Garrett Mills:** Thank you for having me. Soft-story buildings are particularly vulnerable because they typically have open spaces on the ground floor, like carports or retail units, supported by slender columns. In an earthquake, these structures can buckle under lateral stress, leading to catastrophic failures. We’ve seen this happen in past seismic events, most notably during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
**Interviewer:** What steps are being taken by cities like Alhambra, South Pasadena, and Malibu to address these vulnerabilities?
**Garrett Mills:** Unfortunately, many cities still lack mandatory retrofit ordinances. While Malibu has acknowledged 37 soft-story buildings at risk, there’s been no commitment to enforce retrofitting. In contrast, cities like Los Angeles and Beverly Hills have made significant progress by implementing such laws, but it’s concerning to see that many municipalities remain inactive.
**Interviewer:** What do you think causes the hesitance from city officials to implement these retrofitting requirements?
**Garrett Mills:** A significant factor is likely the financial burden associated with retrofitting, which can range from $80,000 to $160,000 per building. Property owners, especially smaller ones, are apprehensive about these costs, particularly if there isn’t a fund to assist with these expenses. However, it’s crucial to frame retrofitting as a long-term investment in safety and property value, similar to other maintenance needs.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned overwhelming public support for seismic retrofit laws. How can this momentum be harnessed to push for necessary changes?
**Garrett Mills:** That’s right. A recent poll showed over 80% of L.A. residents support earthquake retrofit legislation. Advocates can leverage this public opinion to pressure local governments into acting. Public awareness campaigns about the risks of soft-story buildings can build a sense of urgency and responsibility among both residents and officials to prioritize seismic safety.
**Interviewer:** What do you envision as the ideal outcome of the current situation regarding soft-story building retrofits?
**Garrett Mills:** Ideally, we would see all cities with high concentrations of soft-story structures enact mandatory retrofitting programs. This not only protects residents but also preserves community infrastructure. With truly proactive measures in place, we could significantly reduce the risks of fatalities and homelessness post-earthquake, addressing a critical gap in our earthquake preparedness.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Garrett. It’s clear there’s much work to be done, but your insights highlight the importance of immediate action.
**Garrett Mills:** Thank you for having me. It’s essential we don’t wait for tragedy to strike again to realize the importance of these measures. Lives depend on it.
