Beverly Hills

City of Beverley Hills Official Web Page Beverly Hills Proposed Seismic Retrofit Program Beverly Hills Seismic Risk Assessment Staff Report Guidelines for Evaluating and Mitigating Seismic Hazards in California Southern California Earthquake Center USGS Earthquake Hazards Program Infographic: Look at How Apartments Can Collapse During an Earthquake (LA Times)

The city of Beverly Hills does not currently mandate the retrofit of wood-frame soft-story buildings; however, work is underway to develop a seismic retrofit program. The intent of the program is to reduce the risk of earthquake-related damage and promote life safety in the city’s commercial and multifamily buildings. See the links on this page for information on the program’s progress and key dates.

Proposed Scope

The proposed seismic retrofit program for the city of Beverly Hills may include wood-frame soft-story buildings that have the following characteristics:

• Wood-frame construction
• Two or more stories
• Large openings on the first floor such as tuck-under parking units
• Designed prior to 1978

A visual field survey and permit records research have been performed to identify structures with the above listed characteristics. Approximately 300 buildings in Beverly Hills were identified and may be impacted by the intended ordinance.

Proposed Timeline

To date, there has been no timeline established for the creation of the ordinance or for notification to building owners. However, the current Beverly Hills seismic retrofit program proposal offers the following preliminary timeline for compliance.

Contacts

Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
Phone: 626.696.4650
E-mail: seismicordinances@wje.com

Beverly Hills Plan Review and Building Inspection
455 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Arlen Eskandari, Seismic Retrofit Program Project Manager
Phone: 310.285.1113
E-mail: aeskandari@beverlyhills.org