1. Applicability
a. New Development Screening Standards
i. Mechanical equipment mounted on the roof of a building shall be screened by a parapet wall, roof screen, or similar device of a height equal to or exceeding the height of the mechanical equipment being screened, unless exempted by Section 2 (155.5301.A.2. Exemptions).
ii. Mechanical equipment mounted on ground level, or mounted within 3 feet from ground level, shall be screened by dense continuous hedges installed in accordance with Section 155.5203.B.2.f., Shrubs and Hedges, or semi-opaque fences or solid walls. The height of the vegetation, wall or fence, shall be maintained at least six inches above the height of the mechanical equipment being screened.
i. Any lawfully established development that does not conform to the standards in Section 155.5301.A.2.a., New Development Screening Standards, shall not be required to screen any roof-mounted mechanical equipment, unless required to be upgraded as a nonconforming site feature under Article 7, Part 5 of this code.
ii. Notwithstanding the provisions elsewhere in this section, any lawfully established development that does not have an approved landscape plan on record and does not conform to the standards in Section 155.5301.A.2.b., New Development Screening Standards, shall screen all mechanical equipment mounted on ground level, or mounted within three feet from ground level, if the equipment is visible from a public right-of-way or more restrictive zoning district. Screening must be provided on three sides, using a hedge, berm, semi-opaque fence, or solid wall that is maintained or installed at least six inches higher than the equipment.
a. The Development Services Director may waive all or part of the standards in this subsection, 155.5301.A. or 155.5301.B., if it is demonstrated that the implementation of the standards results in a conflict with the city's adopted CPTED guidelines, City adopted Life Safety standards, City owned utility infrastructure as referenced in Article 5, Part 5, Environmental Protection/Infrastructure, or maintenance requirements for mechanical equipment within the public right-of-way.
b. If it is determined that the mechanical equipment is not visible from a street or at the ground level of a non-industrial zoning district new or existing industrial development, within an Industrial zoning, then the roof-mounted mechanical equipment does not need to be screened on a building, if any of the following conditions apply:
i. the building elevation faces another building on the same lot
ii. the rear building elevation faces nonbuildable properties (example of a nonbuildable property includes a railroad track, a water body, or similar properties).
1. All off-street loading areas and services areas (e.g., refuse or recyclables collection area, equipment cleaning area) shall be located and designed to reduce the adverse visual and acoustic impacts of their use on adjacent streets and properties.
2. Exterior off-street loading and service areas shall be screened from view from adjacent streets and properties by durable, sight-obscuring walls, fences, and/or dense continuous hedges that are at least six feet in height. Points of vehicular access into or from the loading or service area need not be screened, provided they are located and designed to minimize direct views into the service or loading area from adjacent streets and properties.
3. Screening walls and fences shall incorporate at least one of the primary materials or colors of the primary structure on the lot. Screening hedges shall be of a type and quality as that used for site landscaping.
4. The Development Services Director may waive all or part of the standards in this subsection, 155.5301.B., if it is demonstrated that the implementation of the standards results in a conflict with the city's adopted CPTED guidelines.
1. Applicability
a. New Multifamily and Nonresidential Development
Except as otherwise provided in subsection c. below, on any multifamily and nonresidential properties, all exterior commercial containers—including, but not limited to, garbage dumpsters and compactors, cardboard receptacles and compactors, large recyclable containers, grease/oil tanks and garbage cans and carts—shall be screened from view from adjacent streets and properties in accordance with the standards in this subsection.
i. Commercial containers shall be screened on three sides by a durable, sight-obscuring wall constructed of brick, masonry, stone, or similar material, and on the fourth side by a wood or metal gate.
ii. No commercial container enclosure shall be placed in an area where the fence regulations would cause a conflict with this section.
iii. The height of the screening walls and gate shall be at least six inches higher than the height of the container.
iv. Where the container is located next to a building wall, the building wall may serve as a screening wall, and the other screening walls or fences shall incorporate at least one of the primary materials or colors of the adjacent building wall.
v. The external sides of walls screening a commercial container shall have a "finished" surface (e.g., textured or painted) and shall be landscaped to soften their visual impact in accordance with Section 155.5302.F.3., Fence and Wall Landscaping.
Notwithstanding the provisions elsewhere in this section, any lawfully existing multifamily and nonresidential development shall screen any commercial container on three sides with a solid view-screening fence that is at least six feet high and on the fourth side with a solid view-screening gate. Commercial containers shall be located so as to be substantially hidden from view from the adjacent property and the public rights-of-way. Additionally, the following shall apply:
i. Commercial containers that are visible from a public right-of-way or more restrictive zoning district, or sub-area shall provide a continuous hedge at least two feet high around the commercial container enclosure.
ii. Unless legally located in a front or street side yard, no commercial container enclosure shall be placed in an area where the fence regulations would cause a conflict with this section.
2. Location
Commercial containers shall not be placed in the following locations:
a. Within five feet of any property line;
b. Any required landscaped area;
c. Any front yard or street side yard;
d. Any fire lane;
e. Any off-street parking space;
f. Any location that blocks vehicular, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic;
g. Any location that interferes with utilities; and
h. Any platted or recorded easement.
3. Exemptions
a. These standards shall not apply to commercial containers placed by or on authority of the city on a temporary basis or placed for the temporary purpose of disposing of waste generated during construction (e.g., construction waste bins) or demolition activity on the site.
b. The Development Services Director may waive all or part of the standards in this subsection, 155.5301.C., if it is demonstrated that the implementation of the standards results in a conflict with the city's adopted CPTED guidelines or if strict application of this code would effectively prohibit the use of commercial containers due to unique or established characteristics of a site.
D. Outdoor Storage Areas
Screening of outdoor storage areas shall comply with the standards in Section 155.4228.A, Outdoor Storage (as a principal use), or 155.4303.W, Outdoor Storage (as an accessory use), as appropriate.