(a) General Provisions. No junk or wrecking yard not within a General Industry or Unrestricted Industry District, used for the storage or sale of salvaged lumber or other used building material, or of junk metals, paper, rags, rubber, glass or other discarded or salvaged articles, containers or materials, or for the wrecking or dismantling of motor vehicles, shall be operated or maintained for more than eighteen (18) months after a zoning change to a use district within which such yards are not permitted, except that in a Semi-Industry District such junk material or wrecking yard may continue to operate as a nonconforming use if the yard has constructed around it a minimum seven (7) foot high solid masonry wall or slightly solid, nontransparent, well-maintained substantial fence.
The Board of Zoning Appeals may grant a variance from the requirement of a solid masonry wall or solid fence along any side of a junk or wrecking yard which does not front upon a street or Residence District, in a Semi-Industry District or General Industry District, if the Board determines that such variance will not be offensive or objectionable by reason of topography, adjacent land use or barriers including natural barriers such as shrubbery and/or trees.
No wall or fence shall be required to be constructed between two (2) junk or wrecking yards immediately adjacent to each other. Should one (1) junk or wrecking yard be discontinued then the remaining yard shall construct a wall or fence in accordance with these provisions.
(b) Definitions. As used in this section:
(1) “Solid masonry wall or slightly solid, nontransparent fence” means a barrier constructed of masonry, concrete block or precast concrete panels, or chain link (steel or aluminum with slats), metal (corrugated or plain), attached to metal or treated wood posts or cross members on other similar material which is nontransparent and hides or shields the area behind the fence from ordinary view. The minimum height shall not include barbed wire or other similar wire.
(2) “Well maintained fence or wall” means a fence or wall which is plumb with no more then a four (4) inch deflection from a vertical position, measured at the top of the fence protected by painting or treated so as to be corrosion and rust resistant and without any bends or breaks, or flaking or peeling of paint or missing or broken slats.
(c) Existing Fence. As an exception to the requirements of subsection (a) hereof, any fence, including wooden fence, at least six (6) foot high now installed pursuant to a permit issued by the Building Commissioner, constructed around a junk or wrecking yard may be continued except that any replacement or substitution must conform to the minimum requirements and provide that the existing fence shall be well maintained, sightly and solid.
(d) Height of Junk. In any use district allowing junk or wrecking yards, the storage of such junk or used material shall not be piled higher than three (3) feet above the height of the wall or fence enclosing the yard, provided that at any point closer than five (5) feet, the junk or used material shall not be piled above the heights of the wall or fence.
(e) Setback Requirements. Any junk or wrecking yard in any use district wherein there is required a setback area between the street line and building line shall construct an eighteen (18) inch high barrier around the setback area.
(Ord. No. 407-70. Passed 6-1-70, eff. 6-4-70)