2013_0708(part 2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

PROJ0017_RCA_070813-Outdoor_Storage.doc Page 2 of 3 4.0B ACKGROUND On March 6, 2013, the Planning Commission discussed outdoor storage regulations, in general, and suggested ways for Planning Division staff to proceed in revising the existing Code requirements. Pictures of existing examples of outdoor storage and display requested during the March 6 th discussion are included with this report as Attachment A. Because this request is initiated by the City rather than by an outside applicant, the State- mandated 60-day timeline does not apply in this case; this is noted merely to explain the “n/a” (i.e., not applicable) notation in the Application Review Details section above. 5.0P ROPOSED Z ONING T EXT C HANGES The proposed zoning text changes are shown in a draft ordinance, included with this report as Attachment B; proposed insertions will be represented in bold text, and proposed deletions will be shown in strikethrough text. A brief discussion of the proposed changes can be found in the paragraphs below. 5.1Definitions: Rather than having a single definition covering all kinds of outdoor storage, the activity has been divided into four segments: equipment and goods, fleet vehicles, inoperative/out-of-service vehicles and equipment, and materials. The new definitions are believed to be adequate as proposed, but are certainly open to suggestions for fine-tuning. 5.2Zoning district tables of allowed uses: The tables showing the land uses that are permitted, conditional, or not permitted across the Commercial and Mixed-Use Districts and Employment Districts have been amended to include the new segments of outdoor storage. Here again, the proposed designation of the segments of outdoor storage as conditional, permitted, or not permitted in a given zoning district should be viewed as a start to the discussion rather than the final word. Note that the Commercial and Mixed- Use Districts table includes the RB-2 district; at the moment, this is a speculative part of the amendment, anticipating the eventual creation of such a zoning district. This public hearing can appropriately be the venue in which outdoor storage issues are identified and addressed, and this amendment can then be laid over until a proper amendment proposing the creation of the RB-2 District is acted upon, at which point the present amendment can be stripped of the RB-2 reference or approved as-is, as may be appropriate. 5.3Conditional use standards and criteria: The next section of the proposed amendment establishes the additional requirements and considerations for evaluating outdoor storage where it is a conditional use, recognizing that the appearance of an outdoor storage facility may be more or less appropriate (or may warrant enhanced screening treatment) based on the existing character of the surrounding properties. 5.4Additional standards for specific uses: Where segments of outdoor storage are permitted uses, this section of the zoning code establishes the additional requirements that apply. Planning Division staff has attempted to strike a balance between allowing for a predictable, transparent, and reasonable process for regulating outdoor storage and maintaining high aesthetic standards; suggestions for improving this balance are welcome. 6.0P UBLIC C OMMENT The duly-noticed public hearing for this application was held by the Planning Commission on June 5, 2013; draft minutes of the public hearing are included with this report as Attachment C. As of the time this report was prepared, Planning Division staff