State legislators propose bill to require structural inspections at parking garages
Wisconsin state lawmakers have introduced a bill that could help prevent parking structure collapses like the one that took a chunk out of Bayshore mall's garage in February 2023.
The proposed legislation would require parking garages to have their structural integrity inspected every five years, according to a Feb. 6 release from Rep. Darrin Madison (D-Milwaukee).
The bill is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of four local lawmakers consisting of Madison, Rep. Dave Maxey (R-New Berlin), Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) and Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee).
The lawmakers drafted the bill in the hopes of making parking garages safer and filling a gap in state law, Madison said in the release.
Under current state statutes, parking garages are not required to undergo periodic inspections after construction despite being regularly exposed to the elements and heavy vehicle usage, Madison said.
When the Bayshore mall garage's rooftop collapsed, sending piles of snow and concrete down to ground level, cars were damaged but no one was hurt. However, another parking structure collapse in 2010 where a 13-ton panel fell and killed 15-year old Jared Kellner and injured two others looms in the legislators minds.
"When the parking garage collapsed at Bayshore Mall last year, my first thought was how thankful I was that no one was hurt," Madison said.
After the close call, he and other lawmakers convened with stakeholders and experts to draft LRB 3158.
Currently, inspections on parking structures are only completed when there's construction or after a safety complaint, Madison said.
Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy said it's only fitting that parking garages be included in state oversight.
He said municipal building inspectors are responsible for conducting periodic inspections during construction and after the garage is completed. But after that, he said there is currently no standard for future reinspection.
Kennedy said this bill would ensure that parking structures, "can safely bear the weight of the vehicles and protect the safety of drivers and pedestrians."
The bill would place a $200 fine on parking garage owners every month for 12 months if they do not obtain an inspection. After a year, the garage could be shut down if no inspection is conducted, according to the bill.
The proposed legislation would bring parking structures closer to the state inspection requirements for bridges, which are currently required to be inspected every two to four years.
Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @levensc13.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin lawmakers propose bill to require parking ramp inspections
