Los Angeles Residents Strongly Support Earthquake Retrofits
Los Angeles residents are in agreement – they strongly back the city’s groundbreaking mandatory retrofits, according to a new poll.
Of the residents polled, 8 out of 10 Los Angeles dwellers are in support of the city’s mandatory retrofits which passed back in 2015.
It’s this law that’s mandating the retrofits of vulnerable concrete buildings and apartment buildings with a weak first floor (also known as soft stories).
The bipartisan support among Angelinos is not only a rarity in the community, but also in politics. The poll showed support across party lines with 88% of Democrats supporting the mandates and 77% of republicans.
Since the law passed back in 2015, the city has made sweeping progress in the retrofitting of soft story apartment buildings throughout the city and even in its surrounding areas.
When the bill passed, there were more than 12,400 apartment buildings within the city limits alone that fell into the category of mandatory retrofits. And since the legislation passed, more than 8,600 of those properties have been retrofitted.
However, the same progress has yet to be made when it comes to retrofitting those vulnerable concrete buildings in the city. Still 1,300 of those buildings remain without retrofits, and the deadline to complete the work has 25 years left on the docket.
“A U.S. Geological Survey simulation said a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Southern California plausibly could cause 50 non-ductile concrete buildings to fully or partly collapse, with as many as 7,500 people in them,” reports the Times.
It was these same types of buildings that crumbled to the ground during February’s massive earthquake in Turkey.
“Here’s the problem with government, having served 33 years in government: It is reactionary,” former L.A. City Council member Greig Smith said in an interview.
If you own a home in Los Angeles, now is the time to have it inspected for seismic upgrades and earthquake retrofits.
Earthquake retrofitting is a necessary safeguard that will help protect your property and those who reside there during a large earthquake.
If you think your home may be in need of earthquake retrofitting, foundation repair, or foundation replacement, contact Julian Construction today and we will send one of our foundation specialists out to conduct a free, thorough inspection with a quote for repair.
We have extensive experience serving our Los Angeles community and nearby regions. In fact, Julian Construction has inspected over 30,000 structures in the area! Give us a call at (323) 733-3377 to schedule your free inspection or complete the inspection request form.
