The discovery of safety concerns in almost one in five balconies inspected in Berkeley in the aftermath of June's fatal balcony collapse is a "wake-up call," said Tom Bates, the mayor of the California city.
Mr Bates said that he was “shocked” to find that inspections introduced after the deaths of six students, including five from Dublin, had uncovered 402 balconies in the city in need of repairs.
Some 2,176 property owners submitted forms under inspections mandated by the city following the tragedy at the Library Gardens apartment complex on Kittredge Street on June 16th.
Corrective action was required in almost 20 per cent of the structures inspection under the regulations forcing checks to be carried out on raised residential outdoor structures over 30 inches tall.
“It was sort of a wake-up call that things were not that good and that we had to take action to remedy the situation,” said Mr Bates.
Seven other Irish students, almost all of whom were in Berkeley for a working summer under the J-1 visa programme, were gravely injured when the fourth-floor balcony collapsed from under them.
City of Berkeley inspectors concluded that dry rot caused by water damage led to the collapse of the balcony’s supporting wooden beams.
Mayor Bates said the extent of the problems found during inspections would make him call for new state legislation to ensure that inspections on outdoor balconies and decks are carried out periodically across California.
“We are hoping that out of this horrific tragedy something good will come,” he said.
In addition to the inspections introduced after the tragedy, the city introduced measures such as new restrictions on balcony designs to create ventilation for moisture and to allow for immediate inspections.
The city has introduced regular inspections of balconies because of high risk of movement to buildings in California due to earthquakes and as a result of minor incidents can cause damage to waterproofing on structures.
The Berkeley families have brought civil actions against the owners, developers and managers of the apartment block, along with various companies involved in its construction and design, seeking damages.
The Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, who prosecutes crime in Berkeley, is carrying out parallel criminal and civil investigations into the balcony collapse and is expected to reach a decision shortly on whether to bring criminal charges over the incident.
