(a) Purposes. In order to regulate and control the problems of noise, odor, light, fumes, vibration, dust, danger of fire and explosion and traffic congestion, which result from the unrestricted and unregulated construction and operation of automotive service stations and automotive repair centers, and to regulate and control the adverse effects which these and other problems incidental to automotive service stations and repair centers may exercise upon adjacent and surrounding areas, the following regulations and requirements are provided for automotive service stations and repair centers located in any zone. All automotive service stations and repair centers erected after the effective date of this Zoning Code shall comply with this section. No automotive service station or repair center existing on the effective date of this Zoning Code shall be structurally altered so as to provide a lesser degree of conformity with this section than existed on the effective date of this Zoning Code.
(b) Minimum Area and Frontage. An automotive service station or repair center shall be located on a lot having a frontage along the principal street of not less than one-hundred- fifty (150) feet and having a minimum area of fifteen-thousand (15,000) square feet.
(Res. 98-340A. Passed 9-21-98.)
(c) Setbacks. An automotive service station or repair center building housing an office and/or facilities for servicing, greasing and/or washing motor vehicles shall be located not less than forty (40) feet from any street lot line and not less than fifteen (15) feet from any side or rear lot line directly adjoining a residentially zoned district. In cases where the side or rear line abuts an open public alley, the structure may be constructed on such property line.
No automotive fueling station, service station or repair center shall be permitted within a five thousand (5,000) foot radius of an existing automotive fueling station, service station or repair center. Measurement of the five thousand (5,000) foot radius shall be made from the outermost boundaries of the lot or parcel upon which the proposed automotive fueling station, service station or repair center will be situated.
(d) Driveway and Curbs.
(1) All driveways providing ingress to or egress from an automotive service station or repair center shall comply with the standards of Chapter 1290, Off-Street Parking and Loading, and shall not be more than thirty (30) feet wide at the property line. Not more than one (1) curb opening shall be permitted along any street. No driveway or curb opening shall be located nearrer than twenty (20) feet to any corner or exterior line, as measured along the property line. No driveway shall be located nearer than thirty (30) feet, as measured along the property line, to any other driveway.
(2) A raised concrete curb, six (6) inches in height, shall be erected along all street lot lines, except for driveway openings.
(e) Paved Areas. The entire lot, excluding the area occupied by a building, shall be hard surfaced with concrete or a plant-mixed bituminous material, except desirable landscaped areas, which shall be separated from all paved areas by a raised concrete curb, six (6) inches in height.
(f) Equipment Location. All lubrication equipment, motor vehicle washing equipment, hydraulic hoists and pits shall be enclosed entirely within a building. All gasoline and fuel pumps shall be located not less than fifteen (15) feet from any lot line and shall be arranged so that motor vehicles shall not be supplied with gasoline or serviced while parked upon or overhanging any public sidewalk, street or right of way.
(g) Number of Pumps. An automotive service station or repair center located on a lot having an area of fifteen-thousand (15,000) square feet shall include not more than four (4) double gasoline and fuel pumps or eight (8) single gasoline and fuel pumps and two (2) enclosed stalls for servicing, lubricating, greasing and/or washing motor vehicles. An additional two (2) gasoline and fuel pumps and/or one (1) enclosed stall may be included with the provision of each additional two-thousand (2,000) square feet of lot area.
(h) Walls. Where an automotive service station or repair center adjoins property located in any residential district, a solid, ornamental, masonry wall, six (6) feet in height, shall be erected and maintained along the interior lot line, or if separated from the residential district by an alley, then along the alley lot line. In addition, all trash areas or used tires, automotive parts and other items shall be enclosed on all sides by the required six (6)- foot masonry wall. Such walls shall be constructed of the same materials as that of the main or principal building, and be faced with either brick, decorative block, or pre-cast concrete formed into a decorative pattern and painted in the same color scheme as that of the principal building. All masonry walls shall be protected by a fixed curb or barrier to prevent vehicles from contacting the wall. The masonry wall may be required by the Building Superintendent where the service station or repair center adjoins a nonresidential use, such as a professional office building, clinic or day nursery, or a landscaped area of any other nonresidential use. Walls may be gradually reduced in height (e.g. stepped down) within twenty-five (25) feet of any street right-of-way line.
(i) Lighting. All exterior lighting, including illuminated signs, shall be erected and hooded or shielded so as to be deflected away from adjacent and neighboring property, and shall comply with all requirements of this Zoning Code.
(j) Prohibited Locations. No automotive service station, repair center, or public garage shall be located nearer than two-hundred (200) feet, as measured from any point on the property line, to any school, playground, church, hospital or other such use where large numbers of people congregate.
(k) Outdoor Storage and Parking. All repair work shall be conducted completely within an enclosed building. There shall be no storage of vehicle components and parts, trash, supplies or equipment outside of a building. Outdoor storage or parking of vehicles or trailers, other than private passenger automobiles, shall be prohibited between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, except that equipment rental operations shall be permitted if incidental to the automotive service station or repair center, and if restricted to travel trailers or campers of under twenty-one (21) feet overall length, car-top carriers and similar auto accessories. Such operations shall be within fenced enclosures observing the same setbacks as required for buildings in the zoning district wherein the automotive service station or repair center is located, and their storage area shall not exceed twenty percent (20%) of the area of the service station or repair center site.
(l) Removal of Underground Storage Tanks. In the event that an automobile service station use has been abandoned or terminated for a period of more than one (1) year, all underground gasoline storage tanks shall be removed from the premises.
(m) Signs. There shall be compliance with Chapter 1476, Signs, of the Building and Housing Code.
(n) Wavier or Modification of Standards for Special Situations. In cases where an applicant is proposing to open a new automotive service station or repair center on a site that was previously a non-conforming service station, the Planning Commission may reduce or waive the minimum area, frontage, or setback standards, provided they determine that no good purpose would be served by upholding the minimum standards. In making such a determination to reduce or waive the requirements for the minimum area, frontage, or setbacks, the following may be considered:
(1) Extent that the proposed site can effectively accommodate and control the problems of noise, odor, light, fumes, vibration, dust, danger of fire and explosion, and traffic congestion associated with automatic service stations and repair centers.
(2) Extent that the proposed site can operate as an automotive service station or repair center without negatively impacting traffic safety or adjacent uses.
(3) Existing and proposed building placement.
(4) On-site traffic circulation.
(5) Proximity to residential uses.
(6) Visual impacts.
(Res. 98-340A. Passed 9-21-98; Res. 2012-258A. Passed 8-20-12, effective 9-5-12.)