HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RES 13-79 RESOLUTION NO. 13-79
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN,
CALIFORNIA, SETTING FORTH FINDINGS WITH RESPECT TO LOCAL
CONDITIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF TUSTIN WHICH MAKE
NECESSARY CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS AND CHANGES TO THE
2013 CALIFORNIA BUILDING STANDARDS CODE
The City Council of the City of Tustin finds and resolves as follows:
WHEREAS, Health and Safety Code Section 17958 provides that the City of
Tustin shall adopt ordinances and regulations imposing the same or modified or
changed requirements as are contained in the 2013 California Building Standards Code
adopted by the State pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 17922; and
WHEREAS, Health and Safety Code Section 17958.5(a) permits the City to
make modifications or changes to the 2013 California Building Standards Code, which
are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geographic or topographic
conditions; and
WHEREAS, Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7 requires that the City
Council, before making any modifications or changes to the 2013 California Building
Standards Code, shall make express findings that such changes or modifications are
reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geographic or topographic conditions;
and
WHEREAS, the Community Development Department and the Orange County
Fire Authority (OCFA) have prepared Ordinance No. 1435 recommending that certain
changes and modifications be made to the 2013 California Building Standards Code
that are reasonably necessary as administrative or procedural in nature, or to ensure
consistency with previously adopted ordinances, or are intended to enhance life and fire
safety due to the following local conditions:
I. Climatic Conditions
A. Orange County and the City of Tustin are located in a semi-arid
Mediterranean type climate. It annually experiences extended periods of
high temperatures with little or no precipitation. Hot, dry (Santa Ana)
winds, which may reach speeds of 70 M.P.H. or greater, are also common
to the area. Tustin's local climatic conditions may cause extreme drying of
vegetation and common building materials, and predispose all fuels,
including wood shingles, to rapid ignition and spread of fire. Untreated
wood roofs pose a serious fire hazard and aid the rapid spread of fires
when such fires are accompanied by high winds. Pieces of burning
Resolution No. 13-79
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wooden roofs become flying brands and are carried by the wind to other
locations and thereby spread fire quickly.
B. Frequent periods of drought and low humidity add to the fire danger. This
predisposes the area to large destructive fires (conflagration). In addition
to directly damaging or destroying buildings, fires are also prone to disrupt
utility services throughout the County. Obstacles generated by a strong
wind, such as fallen trees, street lights and utility poles could greatly
impact the response time to reach an incident scene. Additionally, there is
a significant increase in the amount of wind force at 60 feet above the
ground. Placement of multiple occupancy buildings, location of arterial
roads, and OCFA staffing constraints due to recent revenue-limiting state
legislation have made it difficult for the OCFA to establish additional fire
stations and provide manpower sufficient to concentrate fire companies
and personnel to control fires that may occur within high density apartment
or condominium buildings. Obstacles generated by a strong wind, such as
fallen trees, street lights and utility poles, and the requirement to climb 75
• feet vertically up flights of stairs will greatly impact the response time to
reach an incident scene. Additionally American Society of Civil Engineers
Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and other Structures (ASCE-7),
Section 6, Figure 6-2 Height Adjustment Table identifies a significant
increase in the amount of wind force at 60 feet above the ground. In
addition, OCFA equipment does not allow easy access to areas of
buildings greater than 55 feet above the level of OCFA vehicle access.
Use of aerial type fire fighting apparatus above this height would place
rescue personnel at increased risk of injury. Therefore, the proposed
amendments would require additional built-in on-site fire protection
systems that are needed to protect occupants and property until fire
fighting apparatus and personnel arrive on the scene. The added
protection of fire sprinkler systems and other fire protection features would
supplement normal OCFA response by providing immediate protection for
the building occupants and by containing and controlling the fire spread to
the area of origin. Fire sprinkler systems will also reduce the use of water
for firefighting by as much as 50 to 75 percent.
C. The climate alternates between extended periods of drought and brief
flooding conditions. Flood conditions may affect the Orange County Fire
Authority's ability to respond to a fire or emergency condition. Floods also
disrupt utility services to buildings and facilities within the County.
D. Water demand in this densely populated area far exceeds the quantity
supplied by natural precipitation; and although the population continues to
grow, the already-taxed water supply does not. California is projected to
increase in population by nearly 10 million over the next quarter of a
century with 50 percent of that growth centered in Southern California.
Due to limited rainfall in the area, storage capacity limitations and rising
Resolution No 13-79
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consumption needs, future water allocation is not fully dependable. It
would also leave tall buildings vulnerable to uncontrolled fires due to a
lack of available water and an inability to pump sufficient quantities of
available water to floors in a fire. This necessitates the need for additional
on-site fire protection features.
II. Topographical conditions
A. Natural slopes of 15 percent or greater generally occur throughout the
foothills of Orange County, including Tustin. The elevation change caused
by the hills creates the geological foundation on which communities with
Orange County is built and will continue to build. With much of the
populated flatlands already built upon, future growth could occur in areas
with steeper slopes and greater constraints in terrain.
B. Road circulation features located throughout the County also make
amendments reasonably necessary. Located through the County are
major roadways, highways and flood control channels that create barriers
and slow response times. Hills, slopes, street and storm drain design
accompanied with occasional heavy rainfall, causes roadway flooding and
landslides that at times may make an emergency access route
impassable. Tustin is part of this larger system and could be negatively
impacted during times of emergency.
C. Placement of multiple occupancy buildings, location of arterial roads, and
OCFA staffing constraints due to recent revenue-limiting state legislation
have made it difficult for the OCFA to locate additional fire stations and
provide manpower sufficient to concentrate fire companies and personnel
to control fires in high density apartment or condominium buildings. OCFA
equipment does not allow easy access to areas greater than 55 feet
above the level of the OCFA vehicle access. These conditions create the
need for built-in on-site fire protection systems to protect occupants and
property until fire fighting apparatus and personnel arrive on the scene
These topographical conditions combine to create a situation, which places
OCFA response time to fire occurrences potentially at risk, and makes it
necessary to provide automatic on-site fire-extinguishing systems and
implement other protection measures to protect occupants and property.
III Geographic Conditions
A. The City of Tustin is located in Seismic Design Category D or higher.
There are earthquake faults that run along both the northeastern and
southwestern boundaries of Orange County. The Newport-Inglewood
Fault Zone (NIFZ) which runs through Orange County was the source of
the destructive 1933 Long Beach earthquake (6.3 magnitude, hypocenter
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off Newport Beach coast), which took 120 lives, with areas damaged from
Laguna Beach to Marina del Rey and inland to Whittier, and poses one of
the greatest hazards to lives and property in the nation. Regional planning
to address issues related to earthquake reoccurrence is recommended by
the State of California, Department of Conservation and Governor's Office
of Emergency Services. There was also an earthquake in December
1989, with the epicenter located near the City of Irvine. The fault on which
this quake occurred was unknown prior to this activity. The October 17,
1989, Santa Cruz earthquake resulted in only one major San Francisco
fire in the Marina district, but when combined with the 34 other fires and
over 500 responses, the fire department was taxed to its full capabilities.
The Marina fire was difficult to contain because water mains supplying
water to the district burst during the earthquake. If more fires had been
ignited by the earthquake, it would have been difficult for the fire
department to contain them. Experts predict a major earthquake in the
.•Tustin area within the next 50 years. This situation creates the need for
both additional fire protection measures and automatic on-site fire
protection for building occupants since a multitude of fires may result from
breakage of gas and electric lines as a result of an earthquake. As noted
by the document Planning Scenario on a Major Earthquake on the
Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone, 1988, State Department of Conservation
states: "unfortunately, barely meeting the minimum earthquake standards
of building codes places a building on the verge of being legally unsafe";
B. In the event of local emergency conditions within the City of Tustin, traffic
and circulation congestion often places OCFA response time to fire
occurrences at risk. This condition will be exacerbated by any major
regional disaster, including any earthquake wherein damage to the
highway system will occur. This condition makes the need for additional
on-site protection for property occupants necessary.
C. The City of Tustin is located in the middle of the seismically active area
identified as Seismic Design Category D or higher. The viability of the
public water system would be questionable after a major seismic event.
This would leave tall buildings vulnerable to uncontrolled fires due to a lack
of available water and an inability to pump sufficient quantities of any
available water to floors above the 55-foot level. A severe seismic event
has the potential to negatively impact any rescue or fire suppression
activities because it is likely to create obstacles similar to those indicated
under the high wind section above. With the probability of strong
aftershocks there exists a need to provide increased protection for anyone
on upper floors.
D. Building Code Section 3402 and 3405 — Are intended to provide the tools
necessary to comply with the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act, as amended, ("Stafford Act"). The Stafford Act
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authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund
the repair and restoration of eligible government and non-profit facilities
damaged in a Presidential declared disaster. Section 406(e) of the
Stafford Act requires that the repair and restoration be "on the basis of the
design of such facility as it existed immediately prior to the major disaster
and in conformity with current applicable codes, specifications and
standards." Provisions are the recommendation of the California Building
Official (CALBO) Emergency Preparedness Committee.
E. Soils throughout Orange County possess corrosive properties that reduce
the expected usable life of metallic electrical conduits and water services
when metallic pipes come in contact with these soils necessitating
amendments to the code to protect public health and safety.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council of the City of Tustin
resolves as follows:
Section 1: That certain changes and modifications to the 2013 California
Building Standards Code identified in proposed Ordinance No. 1435 are reasonably
necessary as administrative or procedural in nature, or to ensure consistency with
previously adopted ordinances, or are intended to enhance life and fire safety due to the
climatic, topographical, and/or geologic conditions cited below:
Amendments Proposed in Ordinance No. Findings as identified
1435 in Sections I, II, or III,
above)
305.5, 323, 323.1, 324, 5003.1.1(1),
503.1.1.1, 5601.2, 5601.3, 5602, 5608.2
202, 403.1, 503.2.1, 503.2.1.1, 907.6.3.2,
2008, 2808.3, 2808.7
10.1.6.3, 10.3.6.2, 10.3.6.3, 10.6.3.1, 10.6.4, I I
3405, Plumbing Code 604 and 1280.5,
Electrical Code 300.5, R403.1.3, R405.1
319, 320, 321, 322, 325, 907.6.5, 2808.9, I, II
2808.11, 2808.11.1, 2808.11.2, 4906.3, 4908,
11.2.3.1.1.1, 23.2.1.1, 6.16.1, 4.1.3, 4.1.3.1,
4.1.3.3, 4.1.3.3, 4.1.3.4, 7.1.2, 7.6, 7.3.1.1,
412.7.6 — 412.7.6.13, 903.4, 903.3.5.3, 905.4,
608.1, 608.10 II, I l l
505.1, 903.2, 903.3.5.3, 903.4, 907.2.13, I, I I, I l l
907.3.1, 907.5.2.2, 6004.2.2.7, 6.83, 8.3.3.1 ,
8.17.1.1.1, 11.1.1.2
Resolution No. 13-79
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Section 2: The Community Development Department shall file copies of
Resolution No. 13-79 and Ordinance No. 1435 with the California Building Standards
Commission as required by Health and Safety Code Section 17958.7.
PASSED and ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Tustin, held on the 5t' day of November, 2013.
V/144.11--ty
ELWYN A MURRAY,
Mayor
�.J
ATTEST:
- GJ� c
JEFF' Y ' . •ARKER,
City C erk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) SS
CITY OF TUSTIN
I, Jeffrey C. Parker, City Clerk and ex-officio Clerk of the City Council of the City of
Tustin, California, do hereby certify that the whole number of the members of the City
Council of the City of Tustin is five; that the above and foregoing Resolution No. 13-79
was passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the 5th day of
November, 2013 by the following vote:
COUNCILMEMBER AYES: Murray, Puckett, Nielsen, Gomez, Bernstein (5)
COUNCILMEMBER NOES: None (0)
COUNCILMEMBER ABSTAINED: None (0)
COUNCILMEMBER ABS NT: None (0)
/
C
JEFF" :NC. PARKER,
City,' I:!
Resolution No. 13-79
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