BUILDINGS SINGLED OUT FOR RETROFITS; QUAKE DANGER CITED IN BURBANK.

Byline: Mary Lou Aurelio Daily News Staff Writer

As many as 600 Burbank concrete and masonry buildings constructed before 1977 could collapse in a strong earthquake and must be reinforced in the interest of public safety, the City Council decided Tuesday.

The council gave preliminary approval to an ordinance requiring retrofitting of such buildings, but asked staffers to come up with a way to warn those who work or otherwise occupy the buildings if the owners have not complied.

Councilman Ted McConkey said he was concerned that the ordinance gives building owners three to five years to complete the work.

``You are convinced that the danger does not outweigh giving the owner additional time?'' McConkey asked Burbank Building Division official John Cheng. ``If you're lying under a pile of rubbish and looking straight up, that's a question you might ask - why did it take so long?''

``At least it's a start,'' Cheng said of the ordinance.

``I think it is far too weak,'' McConkey said. ``The dangers are there. Unfortunately, earthquakes are common in our area of the country. We want to tighten up the standards . . . with some greater regard for the lives that would be lost in a catastrophe.''

McConkey's reluctance to support the ordinance was overcome when Mayor Dave Golonski suggested finding a way to warn building occupants if the owners don't comply with the ordinance.

``I'd like to see something posted like, `Notice: This building doesn't comply with the city of Burbank's earthquake standards.' ''

Reinforced concrete and masonry buildings constructed before the Feb. 14, 1977, adoption of the city's Uniform Building Code ``are considered potentially hazardous when subjected to the force of a major earthquake,'' Robert Tague, Burbank Community Development director wrote in a report for the council. ``Many of these buildings lack adequate wall to roof (support) . . . needed to resist strong earthquake forces.''

The reinforced concrete buildings consist of large sections of concrete walls poured as slabs on the ground and lifted into place. They are also called tilt-up concrete wall buildings. The walls of reinforced masonry buildings are attached to a wooden roof structure.

In areas where there was strong ground motion during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, 40 percent of buildings in those categories had roof or floor support failures, Tague said.

In May, the City Council had voted to enact voluntary guidelines for the buildings in question. But after discussions in September about the risk to building occupants, the council directed the staff to draft mandatory retrofit provisions.

The mandatory ordinance will require that reinforced concrete or reinforced masonry walls be anchored to all floors and roofs, which provide side support for the walls, said City Manager Bud Ovrom.

The city Building Division will do a preliminary investigation of each building to verify that it qualifies. The investigation will include a building record search and a physical inspection of the building. Notification letters will be sent to owners.

Once notified, owners will have three years to complete the retrofitting, according to the mandatory requirements.