A long-anticipated earthquake retrofitting ordinance was finally approved by the Los Angeles City Council Friday, ushering in the nation’s toughest earthquake safety laws. Under the new regulations, an estimated 15,000 vulnerable structures will have to be retrofitted to ensure they can withstand violent shaking. These include 13,500 apartment buildings with “soft story” ground floors which are vulnerable to collapse.
Friday’s vote was unanimous and signed by an eager Eric Garcetti.
“Today’s actions will save lives,” the mayor said. “I’m not interested in making history or having the toughest laws. I’m interested in preserving our city’s ability to survive and thrive after an earthquake.”
The new rules give property owners 7 years to fix wood structures and 25 years to remedy concrete buildings. The city council is still considering how the costs should be allocated between owners and renters.
Read more about the new seismic retrofitting rules here.
Image Credit: Flickr User deanhochman, https://flic.kr/p/nXSUzA via (CC BY 2.0)