San Bernardino Church Additions: Seismic Retrofit and Campus Planning

Establish the campus baseline before drawing an addition

Start with the parcel, available approved plans, permit history, prior structural reports, surveys, and records of later alterations. Walk the campus with the architect to document current uses of the sanctuary, classrooms, offices, residences, parking, and outdoor areas. Compare records with visible conditions rather than assuming old plans capture every change.

The City of San Bernardino Building and Safety Division describes permits and inspections for new and remodeled buildings, with plans reviewed for code compliance when required. Ask the City which departments handle land-use, building, and site questions for this address; an informal conversation is not project approval. The California Building Standards Commission confirms the 2025 California code editions took effect January 1, 2026. Confirm the applicable code basis for your application with the reviewing authority and design team.

References: [1] City of San Bernardino — Building Safety Division; [2] California Building Standards Commission — Building Standards Codes

Treat seismic work as a building-specific investigation

An addition can raise questions about the existing structure, the connection between old and new work, and effects of the proposed scope. Ask a California-licensed structural engineer to review records and observed conditions, identify any needed investigation, and explain design implications. The engineer and City can determine applicable requirements; this guide cannot diagnose a building or prescribe a retrofit.

Do not assume every church needs a retrofit or that a neighbor’s solution fits your building. If structural work is recommended, discuss its limits, interfaces with the addition, sequencing, and how concealed conditions will be documented. DWD’s project record reports a structural retrofit coordinated with its 5,000-square-foot addition. That is DWD’s self-reported project scope—not an independent finding about another property or its compliance.

References: [1] City of San Bernardino — Building Safety Division; [2] California Building Standards Commission — Building Standards Codes; [4] DWD Builders — Church, San Bernardino Project Record

Define campus uses and occupancy assumptions early

Describe proposed activities in each space: worship, classrooms, offices, kitchens, support areas, or residences. These distinctions help the design team coordinate layouts, occupant assumptions, exits, separation between uses, systems, and operations. Classification is project-specific, not something to copy from another congregation or infer from a room’s name.

DWD’s record identifies its San Bernardino addition as A-3 Assembly and separately describes three pastoral residential units. This is the company’s account for that project only—not a classification for every church, gym, meeting hall, or sanctuary. Have the design team document proposed uses and confirm the appropriate classification and review path with the City.

References: [1] City of San Bernardino — Building Safety Division; [4] DWD Builders — Church, San Bernardino Project Record

Plan access, campus circulation, and construction phasing together

Map how people, deliveries, and emergency responders move through the campus on ordinary days and during peak gatherings. Review routes from parking to entrances and gathering spaces, accessible facilities, and connections between existing and new areas. Coordinate accessibility with the site and building design; professionals and the reviewing authority must evaluate the applicable scope.

If services may continue during construction, ask for a phasing and logistics plan covering safe separation, temporary routes, deliveries, and access to exits. Feasibility depends on the work, site, and safety requirements; do not assume every area can remain occupied. DWD’s record says its campus remained operational during construction. That reported approach is not a promise for other sites.

References: [1] City of San Bernardino — Building Safety Division; [4] DWD Builders — Church, San Bernardino Project Record

Include parking, utilities, and drainage in campus planning

A larger footprint can affect parking, accessible routes, service access, utilities, landscaping, and rainfall management. Ask civil and design professionals to review site conditions with the proposed work. The City’s Storm Water Requirements page is an official starting point, not a source here for numeric standards or a prescribed system. Confirm applicable criteria and submittals directly with the City.

DWD’s record reports subsurface infiltration tanks beneath the parking lot on its two-acre project site. This company-reported feature is not a general recommendation or requirement. Other campuses may have different soils, drainage, available area, and review criteria. Owners considering residences should likewise define that use for their own design team and City review rather than assume another project’s layout or approvals transfer.

References: [3] City of San Bernardino — Storm Water Requirements; [4] DWD Builders — Church, San Bernardino Project Record

Owner’s pre-design checklist

Use this list to prepare for feasibility discussions; it does not replace engineering, code analysis, or City review.

• Gather the address, parcel information, approved plans, permits, surveys, structural reports, and alteration records.
• List existing and proposed activities, including assembly, education, offices, kitchens, support, and residential uses.
• Ask a structural engineer whether investigation is needed and how the addition may affect structural design.
• Review occupancy assumptions, exits, accessibility, life safety, and separation between uses.
• Map parking, circulation, utilities, construction access, phasing, and stormwater questions.
• Confirm code basis, submissions, reviewing departments, permit scope, and inspections with the City.

References: [1] City of San Bernardino — Building Safety Division; [2] California Building Standards Commission — Building Standards Codes; [3] City of San Bernardino — Storm Water Requirements