By Ara Sargsyan
Building Official, City of Glendale

Every year, during Building Safety Month, we pause to reflect on a simple but powerful responsibility: protecting lives through the built environment. In a region like ours, situated in one of the most seismically active zones in the country, this responsibility is not theoretical. It is immediate, real, and unavoidable.

Glendale is no stranger to earthquake risk. The lessons from past events such as the 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 Northridge earthquakes demonstrated, with tragic clarity, that certain types of buildings, particularly soft-story structures, are among the most vulnerable. These buildings, often characterized by open ground floors used for parking or commercial space, lack the lateral strength needed to withstand seismic forces. When subjected to strong shaking, the upper floors can collapse onto the weaker lower level, resulting in catastrophic loss of life and property.

Today, we estimate that Glendale has approximately 1,000 apartment buildings with soft or weak lower levels. With an average of eight units per building and approximately 3.5 residents per unit, nearly 28,000 people (approximately 15% of our population) are living in potentially vulnerable structures. This is not just a statistic. It represents our families, neighbors, and community members.

Learning from Our Neighboring Cities
Over the past decade, many surrounding jurisdictions have taken decisive action.

• Los Angeles adopted a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance in 2015, launching one of the largest seismic safety programs in the nation.

• Pasadena followed with its own ordinance in 2019, identifying hundreds of vulnerable buildings and setting clear compliance timelines.

• Santa Monica and West Hollywood implemented similar programs, requiring evaluation and retrofit of older wood-frame buildings.

These cities recognized that waiting for the next earthquake was not an option. Today, many of them are nearing completion of their retrofit programs, having significantly reduced the risk to tens of thousands of residents.

Glendale, by comparison, is behind. This is not a criticism; it is a call to action.

Why a Mandatory Soft-Story Ordinance Matters
A mandatory ordinance is not about regulation for its own sake. It is about life safety.

Modern engineering solutions have advanced significantly. Today’s retrofit methods, primarily involving steel moment frames and targeted structural strengthening, can often be completed efficiently, cost-effectively, and with minimal disruption to tenants. Other cities, even those with strict tenant protection and rent control policies, have successfully implemented these programs while maintaining housing stability.

Moreover, Glendale is not starting from zero. In 2024, the Community Development Department identified seismic retrofit programs as a short-term priority, and this direction was supported by the City Council. We also have a capable Building & Safety Division with experienced professionals ready to review, inspect, and facilitate these projects. With additional resources, we can establish expedited permitting processes to further streamline implementation.

A Broader Seismic Safety Perspective
While soft-story buildings represent the most immediate and widespread risk, we must also acknowledge other vulnerable building types, such as non-ductile concrete structures and pre-Northridge steel moment frames. These too require attention.

However, given the scale of exposure and occupancy, soft-story buildings must remain our highest priority.

Leadership from Within the Community
It is important to recognize that we do not need to wait for a mandate to act.

Approximately 35 property owners in Glendale have already voluntarily retrofitted their buildings, having obtained permits and investing in the safety of their tenants. These owners have demonstrated leadership, responsibility, and foresight. They are setting the standard for what community stewardship looks like.

Their example sends a clear message: seismic safety is not just a regulatory requirement. It is a moral obligation.

A Call to Action
The question before us is not whether another earthquake will occur, it is when.

We cannot afford to wait for tragedy to force our hand. Every day we delay is another day that thousands of our residents remain at risk.

As your Building Official, I urge:

• Policymakers to advance and adopt a mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance without delay

• Property owners to take proactive steps now, before mandates and deadlines

• Residents to stay informed and engaged in discussions about building safety

Building Safety Month is not just about awareness, it is about action.

Let us not wait for the next earthquake to remind us of our responsibility. Let us lead, protect, and build a safer Glendale together.

About Ara
Ara Sargsyan is an ICC Certified Building Official, Professional Civil Engineer licensed in States of California and Washington, LEED Accredited Professional and California Licensed General Contractor. With a career spanning more than four decades in public service and private industry, he is responsible for enforcing local, state, and federal building regulations, guiding policy development, and ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and customer service.

Prior to joining Glendale, Ara served as Building Official for the City of Santa Monica and held several senior leadership roles with the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, including Assistant Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Development Services. He is actively involved in statewide and national code development and professional organizations.

Ara has received numerous industry recognitions, including Lifetime Honorary Member from the International Code Council Los Angeles Basin Chapter (2024), Public Service- Building Official of the Year from the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California (2021), Educator of the Year from California Building Officials (2020), reflecting his longstanding commitment to excellence, leadership, and advancement of the building safety profession.