Portland Earthquake Warning Signs Plan Paused By Federal Judge

PORTLAND, OR – Last year, the Portland City Council passed a law requiring buildings with unreinforced masonry to post signs warning that they could be dangerous in an earthquake. The plan immediately drew fire from a coalition of business owners, community organizations, and houses of worship who said that it would discriminate against them.

They also challenged the validity of the database that was being used to determine which buildings would be required to display the signs. One business – McMenamins's Crystal Ballroom – even successfully challenged their inclusion on the list.

Late last month, newly-seated City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty announced that the city's fire bureau – which she oversees – would not start enforcing the rules, which were set to go into effect March 1.

She said that there needs to be more hearings, more study of the issue.

While the law had been put in place by the council last year, Hardesty is one of three – a majority of the five-member council – who oppose it.

On Thursday, a federal judge dealt the city's plan another blow.

Judge John Acosta issued a temporary restraining order, effectively delaying enforcement of the law until at least May 1.

"It's as if the ordinance does not exist for that 60-day period," Acosta said after a hearing with lawyers for the city and lawyers for several building owners who had filed a federal lawsuit.

Acosta scheduled a hearing for April 25.

Before that happens, the city council will consider a resolution from Hardesty that, among other things, would delay enforcement of the law until November 1, 2020.

Hardesty agrees that the city does need to something but says she thinks that there are better ideas out there.

"No one is interested in putting our residents at risk, but we need to look at ways to better support businesses and non-profits in seismically upgrading their buildings," Hardesty says. "A placard is a band-aid for a much larger problem.

"Until we have better support in place, especially in the form of funding assistance for these projects, I want placarding enforcement on hold for businesses and non-profit organizations."

Portland has more than 1,500 brick buildings that are considered at risk of collapse in a large earthquake.

As a result, the city passed a law requiring those buildings to carry signs saying that, "This is an unreinforced masonry buildings. Unreinforced masonry buildings may be unsafe in the event of a major earthquake."

The signs would have to be at least eight by ten inches and written in a large-sized type.

Officials say that the smarter plan would be to require buildings to be retrofitted but with the cost to many being prohibitive, they see the signs as a good step along the way.

The city maintains an interactive online map that allows you to check if a building is made of unreinforced masonry.

Graphic via City of Portland.