Reso 2025-152 Building Code Findings

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Page 42 of 68 2. The aforesaid local amendment is reasonably necessary in order to lessen the threat to life, safety and property represented by certain local climatic, geographical and topographical conditions existing in the City of San Leandro. 3. The aforesaid local amendment is enacted pursuant to the authority of Section 17958.5 of the California Health and Safety Code, for the purpose of addressing the aforesaid conditions which are more specifically described as follows: a) The City of San Leandro lies in the near vicinity of the Hayward Fault and in fact, a substantial portion of the residential area of the City lies within the Alquist - Priolo Act Special Studies Zone, requiring special geologic studies prior to development. The underlying soils are subject to liquefaction and amplification of seismic energy. This increases the likelihood of seismic disturbances of substantial magnitude occurring and causing consequent damage. Such damage is often accompanied by structural fire. The City contains a large percentage of existing structures constructed more than forty years ago, which wi11 sustain significant damage as a result of an event. b) The travel time to a fire or other emergency within San Leandro may be impeded by the following conditions: (1) Three major railway lines, the elevated BART line, three major freeways and a natural creek, divide the City into numerous sections, and equipment responding to emergencies face potential delays and obstruction of access in crossing these barriers. (2) San Leandro lies in the path of two major water reservoirs which, upon failure, would inundate a large portion of the City, further delaying the response to a fire or other emergency. (3) A growing community of single-family and multi-family dwellings presently exists on the easterly side of Highway 580, which is itself a potential physical barrier impeding response to a fire or other emergency. (4) The two major north-south emergency response routes aside from the freeways are dependent upon bridges spanning San Leandro Creek. Failure of these bridges would isolate a heavily populated section of the City north of the creek. (5) Severe seismic events could disrupt communications, damage gas mains, cause extensive electrical hazards, and place extreme demands on the limited and widely dispersed resources of the Fire and Police Departments responding to fire and life safety needs of the community. 4. In the event of a natural disaster inadequately reinforced and/or anchored structures present a significantly greater threat to persons and property due to the increased likelihood that such structures or portions of such structures may collapse in the wake of the natural disaster. To allow previous structurally deficient structures to be reconstructed to such condition perpetuates the threat to persons and property upon the occurrence of a subsequent natural disaster. Resolution No. 2025-152