Carpinteria

Carpinteria does not currently mandate the retrofit of wood-frame soft-story buildings; however, the City is working to develop a mandatory soft-story retrofit program. Proposed Ordinance No. 773 Mandatory Seismic Retrofit Program for Existing Wood-Frame Buildings with Soft, Weak, or Open-Front Walls has been drafted but has not yet been adopted by the city.

An updated draft Ordinance was presented to City Council on January 8, 2024. As of June 2024, the City has not provided an update on the expected adoption of this ordinance.

Vulnerable Buildings Assessment and Policy Program

The City has an ongoing program to identify potential soft-story buildings, and to develop a soft-story ordinance. Work on the program had been put on hold during 2020 due to the pandemic. According to their 2021 progress report on the 2020 General Plan, the City is presently considering resumption of the program.

Proposed Scope

Carpinteria’s proposed wood-frame soft-story retrofit program applies to existing buildings that have the following characteristics:

• Wood-frame construction
• Five or more dwelling units
• Construction permit was applied for prior January 1, 1991
• Contains soft, weak, and/or open-front wall lines

If adopted, the program would not apply to single family residences or multiple-family residential parcels with four or fewer units. It is estimated that approximately 14 buildings within the City of Carpinteria will fall within the scope of this proposed ordinance.