The purpose of this article is to allow for the temporary placement
and use of temporary storage units on properties within the Village
of the Branch subject to resolutions that the Board of Trustees has
determined to be necessary to insure that the placement and use of
said temporary storage units will not offend the health, safety and
aesthetics objectives of the Village. Accordingly, it is the intent
of this article to regulate the placement and use of temporary storage
units in order to promote the health and safety of the residents of
the Village and to preserve the aesthetic value of its neighborhoods.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
APPLICANT
A person or entity that owns, rents, occupies, or controls
a property and seeks and/or obtains a written permit to place a temporary
storage unit on said property.
SUPPLIER
The person or entity that supplies a temporary storage unit
for use on the applicant's property.
TEMPORARY STORAGE UNIT
A transportable unit or container, including those containers
manufactured or supplied under the trade name "Portable on Demand
Storage" or "PODS
®," designed and used primarily for the temporary storage of building materials, household goods, personal property of any kind, and other such materials for use on a limited basis. Such units shall not be considered an accessory structure as provided in Chapter
275 of the Village of the Branch Zoning Code.
No person shall place a temporary storage unit on any property
in the Village unless the person that owns, rents, occupies, or controls
the property first obtains a written permit from the Village Clerk
to do so.
The following requirements shall apply to the placement and
use of temporary storage units.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person or entity to place or permit
the placement of a temporary storage unit on property located within
the Village without obtaining a written permit as provided above.
B. Only one temporary storage unit shall be located on any one property
at any given time.
C. Temporary storage units shall be limited to a maximum size of nine
feet in height, 10 feet in width or 20 feet in length.
D. Temporary storage units shall not be located in any portion of the
front yard, other than on a driveway or other paved surface. When
placed on a driveway, temporary storage units must be placed at the
farthest access point from the street. A temporary storage unit shall
not be placed less than 10 feet from a property line. The Board of
Trustees shall have the right to adjust the location when a hardship
location is requested.
E. Temporary storage units are prohibited from being placed in or on
public or private roadways or rights-of-way.
F. Temporary storage units shall not be located in a manner that blocks
the flow or obstructs the vision or sight of vehicles and pedestrians
traveling on public or private roadways, sidewalks or parking lots.
G. The applicant, as well as the supplier, shall be responsible for
ensuring that the temporary storage unit is installed and maintained
in a good and safe condition, free from evidence of deterioration,
weathering, discoloration, graffiti, rust, ripping, tearing or other
holes or breaks, or in any way which might create a hazard to the
general public or an unsightly condition on the property.
H. Temporary storage units shall be conspicuously marked with the name
and address of the supplier and have affixed thereon a copy of the
written permit authorizing the placement of the temporary storage
unit on the property.
I. No temporary storage unit shall be used for habitable purposes or
to store solid waste, construction debris, demolition debris, recyclable
materials, business inventory, commercial goods, goods for use other
than at the property where the temporary storage unit is located (i.e.,
used for retail sales) or any other illegal or hazardous material.
Upon reasonable notice to the applicant, the Village may inspect the
contents of any temporary storage unit at any reasonable time to ensure
that it is not being used for any prohibited purpose.
J. A temporary storage unit that is not removed at the end of the time
for which permission has been granted shall be deemed to be an illegal
structure and may be removed by the Village immediately, without notice,
and the costs and expenses against the property on which the temporary
storage unit was located, which costs shall be collected and enforced
in the same manner as real property taxes.
If the applicant or supplier fails to comply with the requirements
for the placement and use of temporary storage units, the Village
Clerk shall revoke the permit. Upon revocation of the permit, the
temporary storage unit shall be removed from the property within 24
hours.