Paul Clinton
CIVIC CENTER -- A well-meaning letter from the Burbank Chamber of
Commerce didn't bring any sunshine into the lives of Bert Johnson and
Jeanne Vlazny.
The letter, sent to more than 600 Burbank property owners, informed
the couple that their building had been placed on a list of city
properties that are not earthquake safe. All of the buildings were
constructed before new codes were introduced in 1976.
If that news wasn't troubling enough, the May 24 letter also informed
the couple -- who own a 5,000-square-foot graphics and design business on
South Main Street -- that they would be required to spend a significant
amount of money to bring the building up to code.
At a Chamber of Commerce informational meeting, Johnson and Vlazny
learned the hard truth. The seismic upgrades are unlikely to cost less
than $15,000 and could cost twice that much.
"I'm not angry we have to do it," Johnson said Tuesday, while sitting
in his conference room. "It's just frustrating, the impact of it. It's an
investment that doesn't net you anything."
While the expense will put substantial strain on Johnson's budget, the
small-business owner said he understood the city's motivation to make
older buildings safer.
To help the two business owners and others through the anxieties of
the retrofitting requirements, the chamber has tried to lend a hand. In
addition to the July meeting, the chamber is trying to line up engineers
and construction firms who might be persuaded to give a bulk discount to
the group.
"We thought we'd try to be proactive," Chamber Executive Director
Susan Bowers said. "The crux of it is that it's not a happy situation for
anybody. Nobody wants to spend the extra money. But on the other hand
nobody wants to see a risk to life."
A city ordinance, passed by the City Council in June 1999 precipitated
the current situation by setting in stone a city recommendation for the
work.
That ordinance separates the properties into three categories, based
on the number of people who use the building -- zero to 29, 30 to 299 and
300 plus. Shortly after the ordinance was passed, the city sent letters
to the property owners that started the clock ticking on a three-year
period in which the work must be done.
Properties with the largest amount of use, such as restaurants and
retail stores, were put at the front of the line; those property owners
received letters in January. Business owners in the middle category,
where Johnson and Vlazny fall, will receive letters by the end of the
year. Third category owners won't get their letters until early 2001.
Owners can apply for a two-year extension, but the city is not
offering any financial assistance to help them pay for the work,
Assistant Community Development Director John Cheng said.
The ordinance seeks to bring buildings that have cement or
unreinforced masonry walls and either wooden floors or roofs in line with
the changes in the city's Municipal Code, imposed in 1976. Those changes
were inspired by the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, Cheng said. The Northridge
earthquake, in January 1994, was a more recent reminder in City Hall.
Cheng said the city wouldn't require businesses to fall in line with
the 2000 code.
"We feel '76 is a minimum standard," Cheng said.
