District Officials Agressively Pursuing Seismic Certification for Vista View Gym

While schools in other parts of Orange County worry about what might happen to some of their buildings in the event of a major earthquake, the only thing one Fountain Valley school is buried under is paperwork.

gymnasium was listed as one of several projects in the area still in need of seismic certification by California's Division of the State Architect. Ocean View School District Facilities Planner Lance Bidnick said the district has whittled its list of around 40 uncertified projects down to four, one of which is the gym at Vista View.

"Specifically, it's not anything that has to do with the safety of the building," he said. "It's a clerical issue. Because it is such a large building, there's a lot more to that project. There's more contractors involved. There's more inspection that's required, and there's a lot more paperwork."

The state grades school construction projects using a four-letter rating system for compliance with quake regulations. Letter 4 is the lowest score; Letter 1 is the best. A 19-month California Watch investigation, which was released last month, uncovered holes in the state's enforcement of seismic safety regulations for public schools.

Bidnick said the architects of record on the Vista View gym, which was built in 2001, are actively pursuing certification on two change orders, one for additional rebar in the gym's foundation, and another to replace a wheelchair life with a ramp.