A. Temporary Construction Buildings: Temporary structure for the storage of tools and equipment, or containing supervisory offices in connection with major construction projects, may be established and maintained during the progress of such construction on such projects, and shall be abated within thirty (30) days after completion of the project or thirty (30) days after cessation of work or for a period not to exceed the duration of the building permit, whichever is greater.
B. Temporary Real Estate Office: One temporary real estate sales office may be located on any new subdivision in any zone, provided the activities of such office shall pertain only to the selling of lots within the subdivision upon which the office is located; and provided further, that the temporary real estate office shall be removed at the end of a twelve (12) month period, measured from the date of the recording of the map of the subdivision upon which such office is located or at the time specified by the city council.
C. Temporary Housing Unit: Singlewide mobile homes or manufactured homes may be placed in any zone for occupancy during the period of time necessary to construct a permanent dwelling on the same lot or tract, to provide on site security and surveillance for public facilities, to provide classrooms or other school related space for public schools, or to provide for residential occupancy when permanent homes have been destroyed or damaged by a disaster, provided:
1. The unit is removed from the site within thirty (30) days after final inspection of the project, or within one year from the date the unit is first moved to the site, whichever may occur sooner.
2. The mobility gear is not removed from the unit and the unit is not permanently affixed to the site on which it is located.
3. The unit is not located in any required front or side yard.
4. A temporary permit is issued by the building department prior to occupancy of the unit on the construction site.
5. Prior to the issuance of a temporary permit, the site shall be reviewed by the Pierce County health department to determine additional requirements for water supply and/or septic waste disposal or adequacy of existing utilities.
6. In the event the site contains trees or other natural vegetation of a type and quantity to make it possible to partially or totally provide screening on one or more sides of the security unit, the city may require the unit be located so as to take advantage of the natural growing material available to screen said unit from adjacent properties.
7. Prior to the issuance of a temporary housing permit, the city shall review the application and may require installation of such fire protection/detection equipment as may be deemed necessary as a condition to the issuance of the temporary housing permit.
D. Cargo Containers; When Allowed: Except pursuant to subsections A, "Temporary Construction Buildings", and E, "Temporary Portable Storage", of this section, cargo containers are only allowed in the LM and PF zones pursuant to a type 1 permit as an accessory use and in the RU zone pursuant to a type 3 permit as a conditional accessory use, subject to the following limitations as determined by the city administrator:
1. Only two (2) cargo containers will be allowed per lot with a maximum length of forty feet (40') per cargo container.
2. The cargo container must be located to minimize the visual impact to adjacent properties, parks, trails and rights of way. Property located across a public right of way is not regarded as adjacent property.
3. The cargo container must be sufficiently screened from adjacent properties, parks, trails and rights of way, as determined by the city administrator. Screening may be a combination of solid fencing, landscaping, or the placement of the cargo containers behind, between or within buildings. If a cargo container is located on a lot adjacent to a residential zone, the cargo container shall be no greater in size than ten by twenty feet (10 x 20'), and shall have a stick built structure, with a peaked roof, constructed to completely enclose the container. No stick built structure shall be required if the cargo container is totally screened from adjacent residential properties as determined by the city administrator.
4. If located adjacent to a building, the outdoor cargo container must be painted to match the building's color.
5. Cargo containers may not occupy any required off street parking spaces.
6. Cargo containers may not be used as an accessory dwelling unit.
7. Cargo containers shall meet all setback requirements for the zone.
8. Outdoor cargo containers may not be refrigerated.
9. Outdoor cargo containers may not be stacked.
10. Outdoor cargo containers must comply with all applicable requirements of title 11, "Critical Areas And Shoreline Management", of this code, as now or hereafter amended.
11. Cargo containers shall be prohibited from having windows, heating and cooling, plumbing, or multiple entrances. Cargo containers are allowed to have electric, ventilation, and drainage systems installed that would be necessary to meet the minimum codes and standards for lighting, circulation, and drainage.
12. No signage shall be allowed on any cargo container unless approved in accordance with section 13-7-1 of this title, as now or hereafter amended.
13. Cargo containers shall not be visible from any site designated or identified as a local or national historic landmark or natural area. This includes significant vegetative features, stream and creek corridors, buildings, sites, structures and/or identified viewsheds of historic and/or cultural significance.
14. Cargo containers shall be safe, structurally sound, stable, and in good repair.
15. The location of the cargo container shall not block or impede fire or emergency access and shall not be located within or upon the public right of way except as may be permitted by the governing body managing or controlling the public right of way.
16. Conditional use permit for placement in the RU zone requires that the property be at least five (5) acres or more in size.
E. Temporary Portable Storage:
1. When Allowed: Cargo containers used for temporary portable storage may be located on property in all residential zones subject to the following:
a. Such cargo containers may be located on property within the city for a period not exceeding fourteen (14) consecutive days in duration from and including the date of delivery to the date of removal, without registering the property upon which such cargo container is located as provided at subsection E2 of this section;
b. No more than one such cargo container may be located on a specific property within the city at one time and each such cargo container shall be individually limited in duration to the time period established herein;
c. Such cargo container may not be removed and relocated on a specific property more than two (2) times in any given thirty (30) calendar day period;
d. Such cargo container shall be located, if feasible, no closer than five feet (5') to the property line;
e. Such cargo container shall be placed on an existing impervious surface; provided that, in the event that it is unfeasible to place the cargo container on an existing impervious surface, the cargo container may be placed anywhere on the property that is otherwise in compliance with this subsection E1;
f. It shall be the obligation of the owner or user of such cargo container to secure it in a manner that does not endanger the safety of persons or property in the vicinity of the cargo container. In the event of high winds or other weather conditions in which such structure may become a physical danger to persons or property, the appropriate law enforcement officers may require the immediate removal of such temporary structure;
g. No such cargo container shall be located in a manner that blocks access to a fire hydrant or obstructs the view of street intersections;
h. No such cargo container shall contain toxic or hazardous materials;
i. No such cargo container shall be located in the public right of way; and
j. No such cargo container shall be used to store solid waste, construction debris, demolition debris, recyclable materials, business inventory, or commercial goods (i.e., used for retail sales), or personal property not from the residential property where the cargo container is located.
k. "Temporary portable storage" shall mean an unoccupied cargo container that is used on a temporary basis for the transient storage of personal property of any kind and which is located for such purposes outside an enclosed building.
2. Registration Required: The owner or occupant of the residential property upon which a cargo container is located pursuant to this subsection E, shall not cause or allow such cargo container to remain on such property beyond the duration specified in subsection E1a of this section, unless the property upon which such cargo container has been located is registered with the city administrator and the ten dollar ($10.00) nonrefundable registration fee has been paid. The registration application shall contain the name of the applicant, whether the person owns, rents, occupies, or controls the property, the street address at which the cargo container has been placed (and assessor's tax parcel number if available), the delivery date, removal date, and a description of the cargo container and its location on the registered property. The effective date of the registration shall be the date of approval of the registration application and the registration shall be conspicuously posted on the cargo container. A cargo container may be located upon the registered property for a period not to exceed sixty (60) days from the date of approval. No property may be registered more than one time in any one hundred eighty (180) day period.
3. Revocation: A violation of any of the provisions of this subsection E shall, in addition to any other penalties provided herein, subject the registration approval to revocation by the city administrator.
4. Removal: The owner or occupant of the residential property is responsible for removing the cargo container from the property at the expiration of the registration approval or sooner if the registration is revoked by the city administrator.
5. Penalties: A violation of any of the provisions of this subsection E shall be and constitute a class IV civil infraction for each day that such violation continues, and any person found to have committed such a violation shall be subject to a maximum fine of twenty five dollars ($25.00) for each such violation. Imposition of such penalties shall not preclude the city from exercising any other rights or remedies it may have to require or seek removal of a cargo container located in violation of this subsection E. (Ord. 889, 9-8-2010)