Protecting Beverly Hills: The Soft Story Retrofit Program
soft story

Soft-story buildings are a common sight in many cities, and Beverly Hills is no exception. However, these buildings pose a significant risk to residents and property owners in the event of an earthquake. In January of 2019, the city of Beverly Hills implemented a mandatory Soft-Story Retrofit program (Ordinance 18-O-2767) to ensure that these buildings are brought up to code and can withstand seismic activity.

The program applies to buildings with more than two stories and five or more units, and that were built before January 1, 1994. This ordinance is being implemented in phases, with the first phase focusing on buildings with the most units and highest risk. Building owners have been given a deadline to complete the retrofit work based on their building’s risk level. Failure to comply with the program can result in penalties and fines.

The Soft Story retrofit program in Beverly Hills is an important step in improving the safety of residents and property owners in the event of an earthquake. It ensures that vulnerable buildings are brought up to seismic standards and can withstand the forces of a major earthquake. While retrofitting can be costly and time-consuming, it is a necessary investment in the safety of our communities.

Dates of compliance are calculated based on when the owner received the notice. Timeframes for compliance are listed below.

Submit Screening Form: 6 months

Submit Retrofit Plans: 1 year

Obtain Building Permit: 2 years

Commence Construction: 2.5 years

Complete Construction: 3 years

We at Soft Story Advisors can provide assistance, help you save time, money, and frustration if you need assistance adhering to this Ordinance.

Get Up To 3 Comparable Construction Quotes For Your Rti’d Plans.
Potentially Save Up To 40% On Construction!

www.softstoryadvisors.com

818-590-8122

About Us

Real Estate and Business Veteran, Gordon Myers founded Soft Story Advisors out of the real need he witnessed daily, in the field.

Building Owners are stressed and concerned with hiring the best contractor and/or engineer to comply with various city ordinances because they know that a bad decision can be a very expensive and painful experience.

Licensed as a Realtor in 1988, Gordon has been actively buying, selling, developing, managing and investing in real estate and can easily recognize a one-sided deal vs. a good, fair one!

He immediately recognized the opportunity and foresaw the chaos when the Ordinance came out, requiring that approx. 12,500 city-identified, multi-family dwellings do the necessary work to support their “soft story,” buildings to better withstand a significant earthquake.

Lessons were learned from Northridge in 1994, and again in Mexico in 2017, providing evidence that Soft Story Buildings are more likely to collapse with any lateral movement during a strong earthquake.

 

Get a free copy of our book

More
articles