SAN FERNANDO : Zoning Exemption to End on Feb. 28

If they plan ahead a little bit, owners of buildings devastated by the Northridge earthquake could get a break from the city of San Fernando.

The City Council has announced a Feb. 28 cutoff date for owners of “non-conforming” residential buildings--apartments, houses or condominiums located in areas that have since been rezoned--to submit plans to rebuild their properties. If the owners submit their plans for approval by the city on or before that date, they can rebuild without being subject to current zoning requirements.

The rule would allow the owner of a destroyed apartment building that exists in an area now zoned as commercial to rebuild the structure the way it was originally constructed. And the city is waiving the permit fees it charges to cover the cost of processing the paperwork, potentially saving developers thousands of dollars.

“It’s a double incentive to get people to rebuild,” said Howard Miura, community development director for the city.

“The plans must be submitted by Feb. 28,” Miura said, “because beginning March 1, we go back to the current law--no exceptions--that says buildings must be rebuilt according to the zoning that exists.”

Eighty-four residential buildings in San Fernando were more than 50% destroyed by the earthquake. Those contained about 171 apartments.

Miura said there is one caveat: “The builder must be able to complete 85% of the construction by Sept. 1, 1995,” to prevent developers from undertaking projects they can’t finish.

If a building is left unfinished at that time, developers will be in violation of the zoning code and could be saddled with heavy city fines, officials said.