 2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 TEL: (510) 981-7100, FAX: (510) 981-7199, TDD: (510) 981-6903 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Email: mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us |
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MEDIA ADVISORYMay 9, 2006 Mayor, Council Members Propose ‘Red Tape Free’ Rebuilds
of Homes After a Disaster Berkeley law
requires up to a 12-month permit process for a resident to rebuild a
destroyed home. This proposal would give homeowners the right to rebuild
their houses much more easily. Berkeley, CA
– Mayor Tom Bates, joined by three Council Members, is recommending the
City change its laws to allow homeowners to rebuild their homes after a
disaster without the usual 6-12 month “use permit” process that is now
required. The proposal would allow rebuilding in the exact footprint of
the old house with an “over the counter” permit.
This proposal,
which is co-sponsored by Council Members Betty Olds, Laurie Capitelli, and
Gordon Wozniak, will come before the City Council on Tuesday, May 16th.
If approved, it will be sent the Planning Commission for a public
discussion and drafting of language before returning to the Council for
final approval. “The aftermath of a major disaster
will be a difficult time for the city government and the entire Berkeley
community,” said Mayor Tom Bates. “Spending
time now to create an expedited and workable set of rebuilding rules will
prevent a great deal of heartache down the road.
With this in place, homeowners will know what documentation they
need to set aside now to speed the rebuilding process later.” Currently, any home that is destroyed by
fire, earthquake, or other disaster can be rebuilt with a Use Permit –
an expensive and time-consuming process that requires a hearing before the
Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB), allows for an appeal to City Council, and
takes approximately up to a year to process.
If many hundreds of homes are destroyed in a disaster this process
would be extremely difficult for homeowners and unwieldy to manage with
current staff levels. The proposed new rules would require
that the reconstructed house be on the same lot location, the same size,
and made with substantially similar materials.
However, the new structure would still have to meet all current
building and fire codes as well as pass an engineering and site stability
review. Any new additional
square footage would require the owner go through the usual “use
permit” process. # # # |
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