Glendale Soft-Story Ordinance
Glendale does not currently appear to have an adopted mandatory soft-story retrofit ordinance with fixed compliance deadlines for affected property owners. However, the City has publicly identified soft-story buildings as a major seismic safety concern and has called for a mandatory ordinance to be advanced and adopted.
The City’s Building Safety Month update on disaster-resilient building codes states that Glendale has approximately 1,000 apartment buildings with soft or weak lower levels, potentially affecting nearly 28,000 residents.
Current Status of Glendale’s Program
Older summaries describe Glendale’s soft-story retrofit program as voluntary. That remains the safest current framing unless the City publishes an adopted mandatory ordinance, compliance table, or formal program page with required deadlines.
Glendale’s Building Official has described a mandatory ordinance as an important next step, but the City’s public materials still frame it as a policy action that should be adopted. For now, owners can evaluate and strengthen vulnerable buildings before a mandate creates formal requirements.
Which Buildings May Be Most Relevant?
Because Glendale has not published final mandatory ordinance criteria, owners should avoid assuming their property is officially subject to a future rule. However, buildings that may warrant early evaluation often include:
- Older wood-frame apartment buildings
- Buildings with two or more stories
- Multifamily properties with open or tuck-under parking
- Buildings with large garage, carport, or storefront openings at the lower level
- Residential units above an open or weak first story
- Buildings constructed before modern seismic design standards
These characteristics do not automatically mean a Glendale building will be subject to a future ordinance. They do suggest the property may deserve structural review before formal deadlines are created.
Why Glendale Is Focused on Soft-Story Risk
Soft-story buildings can be vulnerable because the lower level may have much less lateral strength than the floors above it. During strong shaking, the upper floors can place significant demand on a weak or open first story, increasing the risk of severe damage or collapse.
Glendale has noted that nearby cities such as Los Angeles, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood have already adopted mandatory soft-story retrofit programs. The City has also stated that approximately 35 property owners have voluntarily retrofitted buildings in Glendale by obtaining permits and investing in seismic safety before a citywide mandate.
Should Owners Act Before an Ordinance Is Adopted?
For older multifamily buildings with open lower-story conditions, early evaluation can help owners understand whether the building has soft-story vulnerabilities, what strengthening options may be practical, and how a future ordinance could affect planning.
Taking action early may also help owners avoid compressed timelines, increased demand for engineers and contractors, and rushed decisions once a mandatory program is adopted.
Get Clear on Your Glendale Retrofit Options
If you own an older Glendale apartment building with open parking or another weak lower-story condition, the next step is understanding whether the property has the types of vulnerabilities that have triggered ordinances in nearby cities. Retrofit1 can help property owners review potential soft-story concerns, coordinate licensed structural evaluation, and plan retrofit work if strengthening is recommended.
When a building has seismic concerns beyond possible future soft-story requirements, those improvements can be evaluated through earthquake retrofitting in Glendale while keeping voluntary soft-story planning and broader retrofit work clearly separated.