City Beat
Status of Gilroy’s
Unreinforced Masonry
(URM) Buildings
I
n December 1989, the City of Gilroy submitted to the State of
California, a list of 35 structures that were identified as possibly being
unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. Over the years, the number
of identified URM buildings has increased to 37 structures in total. A
significant portion of Gilroy’s downtown is recognized as an “historic”
district, a designation that requires a building’s details and characteris-
tics be preserved during improvements to retain the charm and unique
features of the downtown core. All but five of the 37 structures are within
the historic district and special attention is included to ensure compliance
with the historic standards and expectations. In addition, eight of those
buildings within the historic district are also identified as important
historic sites on some level – local, county, and/or national.
Presently, the owners of several buildings are actively pursuing land use
or building permits to achieve compliance with the City’s URM ordinance.
An architectural and site review (AS) permit is in process for the building
that houses Banning’s Upholstery and Frank’s Barbershop (7320-7340
Monterey St), with approvals anticipated in the near future. The buildings
at 7517 and 7525 Monterey Street have an approved AS permit, pending
issuance of a building permit to initiate the anticipated retrofit work.
Only six structures currently remain non-compliant with the URM
requirements. These are structures with known seismic hazards, and
owners have not yet pursued the necessary planning or building
permit approvals.
Third Street Roundabout Update: Estimated project timeline for completion of the 3rd Street and Santa
Teresa Boulevard roundabout is November 2016. However, it was opened to traffic in phases through September and October. The
temporary traffic lights have been removed to aid traffic flow and a temporary barrier has been installed to prevent unsafe left turns
onto Santa Teresa from the west.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016
gmhtoday.com
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