These shall require use permits in all indicated districts and shall comply with the following standards:
(A) General requirements.
(1) Service stations in existence prior to April 22, 1970, which have been damaged or partially destroyed, or which shall be added to or altered by any means to the extent of more than $1,000 in any one year, may be occupied or used except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter unless such compliance is waived in whole or in part by the Commission as constituting an unnecessary hardship. In cases of emergency or where modifications to maintain service station operations are necessary, the damage may be replaced with Commission approval.
(2) If a once operating service station remains closed for a period of 180 consecutive days, the use permit therefor shall expire and be null and void, and any subsequent use of the land for a service station shall be subject to the issuance of a new use permit in conformity with the provisions of this code, unless waived by the Commission.
(3) Existing service stations may add a food mart provided that a new use permit is obtained and all of the requirements of this chapter are met (including minimum lot size requirements). Retail sales of alcoholic beverages are strictly prohibited. The maximum retail sales area for a food mart facility shall be 1400 square feet. Offices and restrooms shall not count toward this requirement.
(B) Site requirements.
(1) No service station shall be constructed or operated on a lot having a depth or width less than 150 feet.
(2) No service station shall be constructed or operated on a lot having less than 22,500 square feet in area. When combined with a food mart facility, service stations shall meet a minimum lot size requirement of 28,750 square feet. Additional area shall be required if combined with a towing service.
(3) No service station building shall be located nearer than 35 feet from any street property line. Such setback shall be measured at the building foundation.
(4) No canopy shall be closer than five feet to any interior property line or 20 feet to any street property line.
(5) No gasoline pump or facility for dispensing gasoline, and no pump island in which the same is or may be located, shall be nearer than 20 feet from any property line nor nearer than 35 feet from any parking space, and no pump island, pump, or facility for dispensing gasoline shall be located on a residential street frontage serving as a secondary access to the service station site.
(6) All outdoor storage shall be screened as provided for in this chapter, however, a display rack for automobile products no more than four feet wide may be maintained at each pump island of a service station. If display racks are not located on pump islands, they shall be placed within three feet of the principal building, and shall be limited to one per street frontage. The storage of inoperative vehicles is prohibited. The location of display racks and vending machines shall be specified by the use permit.
(7) Gas tank vent pipes shall be incorporated into the structures and concealed from public view.
(C) Site development standards.
(1) If a lot upon which a service station is constructed or maintained abuts a lot classified or zoned as a residential use, a six foot high solid masonry wall shall be constructed along the full length of each property line abutting property thus classified or zoned for residential use; provided, however, such wall height shall be reduced to three feet adjacent to the front yard of each adjacent residential property.
(2) All rest room entrances, unless interior to a station building, shall be screened from the view of all adjacent properties and streets by means of decorative screens six feet in height. The bottom of such screens shall be raised no less than 12 inches and no more than 18 inches above the finished grade for visibility and ventilation.
(3) All outside trash, garbage, refuse, and other storage areas shall be enclosed by a gated, masonry structure not less than six feet in height, 10 feet in width (outside dimension), and 10 feet in length (outside dimension). Openings to such trash enclosures shall be designed so as to prevent a view of trash or materials stored from the street or adjacent properties. Provisions for adequate vehicular access for the collection of such trash or materials shall be provided to and from such areas.
(4) Provisions shall be made in the area where Class I flammable liquids may be spilled to prevent liquids from flowing into the interior of service station buildings. Such provisions may include grading driveways, raising door sills, or other equally effective means. Crankcase drainings and flammable liquids shall not be dumped into sewers but shall be stored in tanks or tight drums outside buildings until removed from the premises by a licensed disposal company.
(5) Tanks installed for crankcase drainings shall be installed in accordance with the requirements for flammable liquid storage. In addition thereto, drainage lines terminating inside a building shall be equipped with a suitable trap or check valve.
(6) Service stations constructed in areas that are predominantly of residential character shall be designed to maintain a residential atmosphere.
(7) A water and air supply station is required. It shall be located out of traffic flow areas and be shielded so to not create noise audible to nearby residential land uses and shall be kept in working condition.
(D) Landscaping standards. Every lot or parcel of land upon which a service station is constructed or maintained shall be landscaped. Such landscaping shall conform to the following:
(1) Planters shall be installed and maintained adjacent to every street frontage for the full length thereof except for driveways. The street frontage landscaping shall be bermed to be of sufficient height to screen the pump islands from passing motorists.
(2) A planting area shall be installed and maintained at the intersection of property lines at a street corner to conform with the radius of such corner; provided, however, at no time shall such planting area be less than 150 square feet. All plants shall respect the visibility triangle provided for in this article.
(3) All planting areas shall be separated from adjacent asphalt paving by concrete curbing at least six inches in height.
(4) Planters shall comply with the parking lot landscaping requirements of this article.
(5) All plants in any planter adjacent to a perimeter wall shall, when required by the Planning Commission, be of a variety capable of growing to the height of such wall.
(6) Permanent underground sprinkler systems shall be installed and maintained for every landscaped area, and all such landscaped areas shall be planted and maintained in a clean and workman-like manner.
(E) Surface drainage. Flow lines shall be shown on all service station plans. Sheet flow shall not be permitted across property lines. Surface runoff shall be carried under sidewalks into the gutter or other drainage facility by means of a drainage structure approved by the City Engineer.
(F) Utilities. All utilities, including electrical, telephone, C.A.T.V., and similar service wires or cables which provide direct service to the property occupied by an automobile service station, shall, within the exterior boundaries of the station property, be installed underground. Related electrical equipment, such as, but not limited to, surface-mounted transformers, pedestal-mounted terminal boxes, and meter cabinets, may be placed above ground if they are enclosed and screened by landscaping as appropriate.
(G) Equipment. All hydraulic hoists and pits and all equipment for lubrication, greasing, auto-mobile washing, and permitted repairs shall be enclosed entirely within a building.
(H) Exterior lighting. An exterior lighting shall be so arranged and shielded as to prevent any glare or reflection upon and cause any nuisance, inconvenience, or hazardous interference of any kind with adjoining streets or properties.
(I) Architectural control. All exterior walls should be constructed of rock, brick, stucco, wood, treated metal, or any combination thereof. All exterior elevations shall be compatible in design with adjacent structures. Service bays should be oriented to have minimal visibility from adjacent roadways. Gas stations within shopping centers/business parks or similar complexes shall be designed to reflect the architectural theme of the complex. Signage and exterior elevations shall be subject to review and approval by the Design Review Board.
(J) Access, parking and circulation.
(1) No such site shall have more than two driveways or means of access to any one street.
(2) Each driveway shall be separated from adjacent residential property by a full height curb extending at least five feet in length from the residential property line.
(3) No driveway shall exceed a width of 20 feet at the sidewalk, including X distance.
(4) No driveway shall be permitted to encroach onto the return or curve of a street corner. A distance of 20 feet, or more if needed for vehicle stacking distance, shall be maintained between the return point and the beginning of the driveway depression.
(5) Every service station site shall have access to a collector or arterial standard street.
(6) All deliveries shall be made on the service station site itself.
(7) If a towing service is combined with a service station, a storage area completely screened from public view, by a six foot high screen, shall be provided at the rear of the site. The size of the storage area, and extent of screening, shall be deter-mined through the use permit process. This area shall be added to the minimum lot size requirement.
(8) No vehicles, trailers, or campers on any service station premises may be advertised or offered for sale. No vehicle shall be parked on a service station site other than tow trucks and other vehicles used in the conduct of the service station business, vehicles of employees used for trans-portation to and from work on the premises, vehicles of persons conducting business on the service station site while conducting such business, and vehicles of customers either awaiting service thereon or while being serviced or which have been serviced on the premises and are awaiting delivery to or pickup by the owner thereof.
(Ord. 897-C-S, passed 10-25-94) Penalty, see § 9-5.2904