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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10. BUILDING APPEAL FORM - Roger Li.pdf1 Kristina Santana From:Roger Li <rliandjli@gmail.com> Sent:Wednesday, October 6, 2021 6:13 PM To:Kristina Santana Subject:Appeal to Order to Vacate Attachments:BUILDING APPEAL FORM signed.pdf; appeal roger li.pdf; G11 front.jpg; G11 west side.jpg; G11 back.jpg; G11 east side.jpg CAUTION: This message originated outside of our City of Diamond Bar network. Please see attached. Thank you, Roger I am appealing the “Order to Vacate no Later Than October 18, 2021” by the city of Diamond Bar issued on September 30, 2021. I own the condominium unit located at 23647 Golden Springs Drive, Unit No. G11, Diamond Bar, CA 91765. The city of Diamond Bar declared all Buildings in the condominium development located at 23601 through 23665 Golden Springs Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765 are immediately dangerous to life, limb, property, or safety of the public based on two inspection reports by Khatri International, Inc. structural and civil engineers, based in Las Vegas, retained by the Diamond Bar Village Homeowners Association. The reports were done in 2017 and 2021. For the 2017 report, certain areas of the buildings were exposed for investigation. The conclusion of the report was “The Buildings ... do not pose an immediate life safety threat.” The 2021 report was based on visual observation only with no materials testing or structural analysis. Each building 2nd floor units were red-tagged due to the impending risk of structural collapsing from the roof rafter conditions. Each building 1st floor units were yellow-tagged as a medium risk of structural collapsing. I am a licensed Structural Engineer and have been practising structural engineering in California for 25 years. As I learned, the city of Diamond Bar has not conducted its own investigation and placed the “Order to Vacate” solely based on these two engineering reports. The engineer who provided these reports has disciplinary action against him and was put on two and a half year probation starting January 6, 2017 by California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. First of all, the building official from the city of Diamond Bar must inspect the conditions of the building before it could declare any building unsafe and must be vacated immediately per the city of Diamond Bar Municipal Code Section 15.00.110 and 2019 CBC Code Section [A]104.4. Secondly, The 2017 report concluded the Buildings have no immediate threat to life, it can’t not be the base for City’s Order. The 2021 report didn’t conduct any testing, measurements or analysis. All the conclusions were based on a visual inspection. This report didn’t provide evidence to show the buildings are in immediate danger of collapsing based on the visual inspection. For example, here are the findings for Building G from the 2021 Report: 2.3 The condos in Building G have exterior damage on the stucco and the root cause of the damage can be the water leakage underneath the stucco, excessive stucco damage located on the east elevation of the building. However, there is minor visible evidence seen on the west elevation of the Building G. My response: Exterior stucco is not a structural member. Damage on the stucco doesn’t cause buildings to collapse. Stucco needs to be removed to check the structural members behind the stucco (2019 CBC 1604.2). I have attached photos of Building G on all four sides. There are no significant diagonal cracks on all four sides of the building. 2.4 The wooden covering of the balconies has damage on them which can lead to more damage on the balcony area. My response:The wooden covering of the balconies is not a structural member. It will not cause the building to collapse. 2.5 The wooden rafters on Building G have excessive damage due to termites and molds over the years which is damaging the wood on the roof excessively. My response:Since the engineer didn't open up any roof, ceiling, or floors, what is its base to say “The wooden rafters have excessive damage… which is damaging the wood on the roof excessively.” This claim has no base. 2.6 There are clear signs of foundation uplifting and saturated soil due to no drainage source which is causing ground movement and settlement. My response:How much is the foundation uplifted and how much is the ground movement and settlement? There were no measurements to support the claim that “There are clear signs of foundation uplifting”. When the foundation is uplifted, the building will tilt and diagonal cracks will develop on the exterior stucco. I took pictures of the building G on October 1, 2021. There were no signs of the building being out-of-plumb and no noticeable diagonal cracks on the exterior stucco on all four sides of the building. Please see attached photos. These buildings may need further structural investigation to verify the integrity of the building structures. But this investigation can be conducted when the buildings are occupied. This doesn’t justify City’s Order to Vacate either. Since the city of Diamond Bar failed to provide the evidence to show the buildings are immediately dangerous to life, limb, property, or safety of the public, I request the city of Diamond Bar retract the Order to Vacate.