Killer Berkeley Balcony Was ‘Decorative’

A former member of the design review committee that approved plans for the Berkeley, California, building where a balcony collapsed late Monday says the outdoor space was more decorative than practical. “It was definitely not large enough to be what the city would call an ‘open space balcony,’ where groups of people could stand outside,” Carrie Olson said. “This was meant just to be a place where someone could stand out for bit, get a breath of fresh air. Not for something like 13 people.” She is calling for tighter oversight of decorative balconies in the city. Six people died and more were injured—many of them Irish students—when the balcony collapsed.