In hopes of preventing tragedies such as those that occurred during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th District, is asking officials to take stock of the city’s vulnerable residential buildings.

The Beverly Center façade was damaged during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Officials continue to prepare for the city’s next large earthquake. (photo by Vincent Hernandez)

In a motion filed on July 31, LaBonge requested that the city explore ways to create a database to identify the location and number of wood-frame soft-story residential buildings, which are two or more stories with five or more units. The motion has since been referred to the council’s Planning and Land Use Committee.

“Earthquakes are part of our life, and it’s been a while,” LaBonge said. “There will be another earthquake.”

The councilman could not estimate how many such structures exist in the local area. But the motion, if approved, would give city officials a better idea of how many soft-story buildings, such as the Northridge Meadows apartment complex that was damaged in 1994 and resulted in 16 fatalities, are within city limits.

“This begins the discussion,” LaBonge said.

He said the idea stemmed from a conversation he had with a supporter of the LAPD mounted unit, who alerted the councilman to San Francisco’s Mandatory Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance, which requires that multi-unit soft-story buildings constructed prior to 1978 be evaluated and retrofitted.

According to LaBonge’s motion, soft-story buildings constructed prior to 1978 are especially at-risk during an earthquake because their ground floors have perimeter walls that lack strength. In an earthquake, the lateral forces become concentrated within that floor, as opposed to being distributed efficiently over the height of a building. About 200 such buildings were damaged during the 1994 quake.

“It’s the pancaking that kills people,” LaBonge said, adding that a loss of housing stock could also exacerbate a natural disaster since some residents could be left homeless. “Our housing stock is so important and so key.”

The city has a voluntary retrofit policy in place, but does not have a database to keep tabs on them. Whether mandatory retrofitting will be involved — or whether funding will be attached — remains to be seen.

“That still has to be identified,” LaBonge said of potential funding. “We’re still in the beginning process.”

Jim O’Sullivan, Miracle Mile Residential Association president, said the motion appeared worthwhile, though he questioned how the city would pay for it.

“I would suggest they start in Hollywood where we know faults exist,” he said.

The councilman, who frequently weaves earthquake safety tips into public discussions, suggested that residents visit the American Red Cross website, www.redcross.org, and be prepared.