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Nothing can undo the June 16 tragedy at 2020 Kittredge Street. But, writing as a Berkeley resident, I urge you to support a moratorium approving any further large residential or hotel developments until the City can determine exactly how this disaster happened -- and more importantly, how to ensure that such structural failures never happen again. 

People from Berkeley to Ireland want to know why City officials didn't have, or didn't exercise, any oversight over the selection of Library Gardens' lead contractor -- a regional builder notoriously plagued by lawsuits over poor construction quality. 

People want to know why City officials still have no process for ongoing, post-construction inspection of large buildings for gradual deterioration like dry rot. As we learned on June 16, such post-construction flaws and maintenance lapses can be fatal. 

Nothing can bring back the six lives that were lost on June 16. We can hope that the seven severely injured survivors will recover, and will be whole again. But the damage to our city's national and international reputation may be permanent. 

What seems certain, given the killing or maiming of thirteen very young lives full of promise, is that there will be extremely aggressive litigation against all parties involved in the creation, approval, and management of Library Gardens -- including the City. 

So it would seem foolhardy to fast-track the approval of any more large housing or hotel developments now. To do so without a full analysis of the 2020 Kittredge tragedy -- and without a clearly designed, fundamental reform of the City's approval and inspection process -- would be to expose Berkeley taxpayers to massively increased liability. 

As someone who lives in Berkeley, pays taxes, and depends on City services, I choose not to be on the hook for such expanded liability. I ask you, as my elected representatives, to protect all Berkeley residents against this risk. 

Thank you for considering this plea to declare a moratorium on approval of any further multi-story buildings, until we can reform procedures to ensure that all new buildings are built to the highest standards, and are absolutely safe to occupy.