Claremont : Ordinance Targets Buildings

The City Council on Tuesday adopted a seismic mitigation ordinance that will require owners of several historic downtown buildings to shore them up or tear them down.

The ordinance is specifically aimed at 32 older commercial structures built of unreinforced masonry, which is extremely hazardous during earthquakes.

Many of the seismically unsound buildings line the old downtown streets in the Village area and have been identified as sites of historical or architectural merit.

Owners will have to reinforce the buildings with wall and roof anchors. The city estimates that it will cost between $10,000 to $14,000 for each building owner to comply with the ordinance.