CITY OF PACIFICA
COUNCIL AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
11/10/2025
1 SUBJECT:
Introduction of an Ordinance to Adopt by reference the 2025 Edition of the California Building Standards Code and Fire Code with Local Amendments.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Move to take the following actions:
1) Introduce by title only and waive the first reading of an Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Pacifica:
a. Repealing and replacing Chapters 1 -9 within Title 8 (Building Regulations) of the Pacifica Municipal Code related to Building Regulations and to adopt by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Code (Cal.Code Regs., Title 24): Parts 2 (California Building Code), 2.5 (California Residential Code), 3 (California Electrical Code), 4 (California Mechanical Code), 5 (California Plumbing Code), 6 (California Energy Code), 7 (California Wildland-Urban Interface Code), 8 (California Historical Buildings Code), 10 (California Existing Buildings Code), 11(California Green Building Code) and 12 (California References Standards Code); and the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code, certain appendices and making certain amendments thereto, including violation penalties;
b. Repealing and replacing Article 1 (Fire Code) of Chapter 3 (Fire Protection) of Title 4 of the Pacifica Municipal Code to adopt by reference Part 9 (California Fire Code) of the 2025 California Building Standards (California Code of Regulation, certain appendices and making certain amendments thereto; and c. Finding adoption of the Ordinance exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act
2) Set a public hearing to consider adoption of the Ordinance on November 24, 2025.
STAFF CONTACT:
Samantha Updegrave, Community Development Director
(650) 738-7341
[email protected]
Craig Wittner, Acting Deputy Fire Chief
(650) 463-9766
[email protected]
Greg McFann, Certified Building Official
CSG Consulting
[email protected]
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November 10, 2025
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
Every three years, the California Building Standards Commission adopts new versions of the California Building Standards Code, pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 24.
Every city and county is required to adopt ordinances or regulations imposing the same requirements as those contained in the most recently adopted version of the California Building Standards Code. If no such ordinance is adopted, the standards set forth in Title 24 are still imposed on the city or county by default. Sections 17958, 17958.5, 17958.7, and 18941.5 of the Health & Safety Code provide that a city or county may make amendments to the California Building Standards that are reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions.
California Government Code sections 50022.2 and 50022.3 require that for certain codes that are adopted by reference, the City must conduct the first reading and introduction of the ordinance and then schedule a public hearing for the second reading prior to adoption of the ordinance. Certain notice requirements for the second reading of the ordinance are set forth in Government Code sections 50022.3, which include publication of the notice in a local newspaper prior to the scheduled date of the second reading.
The proposed ordinance, included as Attachment 1, will repeal and re-enact portions of Pacifica Municipal Code (PMC) Title 8 (Building Regulations) and Title 4, Chapter 3, Article 1 (Fire Code), with local amendments. The Building/Fire local amendments are reasonably necessary due to the local climatic, geological, and topographical conditions of the City, as detailed in the required findings and exhibit of the ordinance.
With limited exceptions further detailed, below, the City of Pacifica has consistently over several code cycles adopted the local amendments contained in the proposed ordinance. Such local amendments are typical of the triennial update and are not changing from the existing Code and include but are not limited to amendments to the Building Code, Residential Code, Fire Code, Plumbing Code, and Electrical Code.
Green Building Standards Code
The City Council first adopted local amendments to the Green Building Standards Code during the 2019 code adoption process. At a study session on September 22, 2025, and during a consideration item on October 27, 2025, the City Council directed staff to prepare revisions to the existing building electrification standards as part of the 2025 code adoption process.
Proposed local amendments would incorporate the City Council’s direction and would:
1) Remove all-electric requirement/references for new construction. 2) Remove code sections that have been superseded by the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code.
3) Council directed staff to review and analyze whether the percentage of standard Level 2 EV chargers multi-family dwelling units set forth in PMC 8-7.03, which amends section
4.106.4.2 of the California Green Building Standards, could be increased. After further review, it was confirmed that, to the extent this regulation would apply to residential dwellings, it could not be increased under the AB 130 exception (Health and Safety Code section 17958(b)(1) [the changes or modifications are substantially equivalent to changes or modifications that were previously filed by the governing body of the city or county and were in effect as of September 30, 2025]) as it would substantially modify an existing regulation. As such, staff is recommending that this regulation remain unchanged.
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November 10, 2025
4) Nonresidential bike parking: If bike parking is provided indoors, provide electrical outlets equal to 25 percent of the required bike parking spaces.
The proposed ordinance includes findings for the adoption of the local amendments based on local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions, which the City has done in previous code cycles. The proposed ordinance also includes findings specifying that the local amendments are consistent with and equivalent to changes or modifications previously filed with the State Building Standards Commission in the 2022 California Building Standards cycle. Staff recommends introducing the proposed ordinance as drafted and setting a public hearing to consider adoption of the proposed ordinance on November 24, 2025.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA):
Adoption of the proposed ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in that the adoption of State codes and the local amendments therein described do not have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment, pursuant to Sections 15061(b)(3) and 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines (Title 14, Chapter 3 of the California Code of Regulations).
ALTERNATIVE ACTION:
The Council may decline to adopt local amendments or request modifications, including to the proposed local amendments. Should that be the case, the 2025 CBSC, without any local amendments would become effective January 1, 2026.
RELATION TO CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND WORK PLAN:
Adoption of the 2025 CBSC and local amendments is not related to a City Council priority work plan item. However, adoption of certain local amendments, including Reach Codes, would support the following Council-adopted goals:
• Enhance organizational and fiscal stability.
• Pursue climate change adaptation and mitigation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Fiscal Year 2025-2026 adopted budget included $15,000 for costs associated with the 2025 California Building Code update. Staff estimates the budgeted amount should be sufficient for analysis and adoption of the state-mandated code and all local amendments identified in this staff report. Council direction to analyze other local amendments has the potential to incur additional costs that were not anticipated in the adopted budget.
ORIGINATED BY:
Community Development Department
ATTACHMENT LIST:
Attachment 1 - Draft Ordinance to adopt by reference the 2025 California Building Standards Code and Local Amendments (DOCX)