San Marino : Quake Standards Approved

At least four commercial brick buildings will have to be revamped to comply with new earthquake standards established Wednesday by the City Council, the director of the city’s Building and Planning Department said.

The council, with Mayor Suzanne Crowell absent, voted 4 to 0 to establish the new minimum regulations for commercial brick buildings. Owners of buildings that are found to be in violation of the new law could have up to nine years and three months to make the required changes. Buildings with large work forces will have to be revamped sooner.

David Saldana, the department’s director, said four buildings must reinforce their walls with anchor bolts or other supports, and four more may need to do so. But Saldana said none of the buildings are considered high risk under state guidelines, because all have fewer than 100 people working in them.