DBI reports progress on mandatory soft-story retrofit program; enforcement continues

Deputy Director Joe Duffy updated the commission on the mandatory soft-story retrofit program created by ordinance in 2013. He described the program’s tiered deadlines and presented current compliance rates: Tier 1 is at 100% (7 buildings), Tier 2 at 91%, Tier 3 at 89% and Tier 4 at 75%.

Duffy said 95 properties have had orders of abatement issued and DBI is scheduling about 20 director’s hearings per month to push remaining noncompliant properties toward completion. He noted the pandemic extended deadlines and that some owners combine soft-story work with ADU projects, which can delay completion. "We are hopeful, but I think it's going to be another few years," Duffy said when asked about full completion timelines.

Commissioners asked how properties are prioritized for hearings; DBI said it is working through tiers and scheduling hearings according to deadline tiers. Duffy estimated most retrofit projects will complete within 12–18 months after a permit is issued, with many finished in about 12 months where permit values are under $100,000.

DBI said it added an inspector dedicated to enforcement and will continue permitting outreach. The commission agreed to monitor both compliance and permit-issuance trends to better track program progress.