Yeah, based on my understanding, I think I agree with you across the board. Saying "this building already exists, so we'll let it slide" and doing retrofits as

Yeah, based on my understanding, I think I agree with you across the board. Saying "this building already exists, so we'll let it slide" and doing retrofits as able seems like a reasonable compromise. If you allow new construction to bypass safety regulations though, it's unreasonable to then punish contractors for bypassing safety regulations. Regulators should never have granted exemptions for such projects, and it should be their feet to the fire on this one.