Bradley Signs Shake Roof Ban

Mayor Tom Bradley on Friday signed into law a landmark ordinance banning new wood-shingle roofs citywide, but his approval came reluctantly as he indicated the City Council-spawned measure may have been too broad and adopted without sufficient study.

In a letter to the City Council, the mayor said he was approving the ordinance “in the interest of public safety” but urged the council to “promptly initiate well-documented research and, where necessary, enact appropriate amendments.”

Bradley said he favored a less sweeping version of the bill--banning wood-shingle roofs only in high fire danger areas of the city--that would not have been so potentially damaging to the nation’s wood-shingle industry.

The measure has been roundly attacked by the industry, which contends that the Los Angeles Basin is its single largest market, representing upward of 75% of its $50 million in annual sales. Industry leaders maintain that their specially treated wood shingles are as safe as most other roofing products and that the Los Angeles ban is unwarranted.

The ban would prohibit any new wood roofs or repairs affecting more than 10% of an existing roof surface. About 30% of city homes have wood roofs, according to industry experts.

An industry trade group has threatened to sue the city to block enactment of the law, and on Friday a spokesman said a legal defense fund has been budgeted at $400,000.

Industry Opposition

“There’s too much at stake here,” said Michael Westfall, president of the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau, a trade organization representing about 250 manufacturers of the popular wood roofing product. Westfall said the Los Angeles bill has to be defeated in court before other cities enact bans.

The Glendale City Council passed a similar ban July 12, the same day as the Los Angeles council.

Since then, the Hidden Hills City Council has opened an inquiry into a ban and the Bakersfield City Council has considered a similar ordinance. The Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau reports getting calls from concerned homeowners and municipalities throughout the country. “Even Spokane County (Wash.) is looking at the Los Angeles city act, and that’s right here in wood country,” said Westfall, whose organization is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash.

Supporters of the Los Angeles bill, which was authored by City Council members Hal Bernson and Marvin Braude, say there is no evidence that the treated shingles will retain their fire-retardant properties throughout their estimated 30-year life.

The industry has produced numerous studies from independent testing agencies, including Underwriter’s Laboratory, that indicate that the shingles will retain their retardant nature for up to 30 years.

The treated shingles are cedar shakes impregnated with fire-retardant chemicals. They were developed in 1982, when Los Angeles banned untreated wood-shake roofs after the disastrous Mandeville Canyon fire that consumed scores of homes.

Fire Officials Lobbied for Ban

The Los Angeles Fire Department heavily lobbied for passage of the measure, assuring council members that the shingles are a fire hazard. The industry also lobbied the council and the mayor but held out little hope for a victory at either stop.

In his letter to the council, Bradley said “economic impact, as well as the threat to life and property, should be carefully evaluated during this review.” Like Bradley, many City Council members voiced concern that the measure could be unnecessarily damaging to the wood-shingle industry. But in the end, the measure passed on a 12-1 vote.

The law will take effect 30 days after its publication for the public record.

Westfall said his organization will file a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order before the law takes effect.