Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty filed an ordinance Friday that would delay a new city requirement that property owners affix earthquake warning signs to their unreinforced masonry buildings, structures that are at risk of collapse during a major tremor.
Hardesty introduced the ordinance one day after U.S. Magistrate Judge John Acosta ordered a two-month delay in enforcement of the placard requirement. Acosta is expected to hear arguments in a lawsuit over the placard rule brought by building owners during that time.
In a statement, Hardesty said she introduced the proposal “because building owners have told me loud and clear that they don’t understand the new rules” and face financial difficulty performing retrofits.
The ordinance would give owners of private buildings until late 2020 to put the warning signs on their buildings.
“With an expanded timeline, we will look for ways to offer financial support for these important safety upgrades and give building owners more time to examine the inventory,” Hardesty said, adding that she wants to “simplify” the compliance process.
Hardesty announced Jan. 31 that the Portland Fire Bureau, which she oversees, will not enforce the placard requirement.
The City Council adopted the mandate in October 2018 at the behest of ex-Commissioner Dan Saltzman, who Hardesty was elected to replace. The placards to be placed on brick masonry buildings would say: “This is an unreinforced masonry building. Unreinforced masonry buildings may be unsafe in the event of a major earthquake.”
The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People has opposed the proposal, saying it would promote gentrification in Portland’s historically black neighborhoods and would harm local churches with a predominately black membership.
An initial vote on Hardesty’s ordinance is set for Feb. 20.
-- Gordon R. Friedman
Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified John Acosta as a U.S. district court judge. He is a magistrate judge.