City of Buena Park, CA Development Standards

All refuse shall be stored within trash containers which meet City standards. Except when temporarily placed for pickup, all such containers shall be located or screened so as not to be in public view.

Except for a temporary use, all non-residential uses, as well as mobile home parks and group quarters in the commercial and industrial zones shall provide a trash enclosure for the purpose of: screening the trash container(s) from public view, maintaining any loose debris within the enclosure, providing a permanent location for the container(s) that will not encroach upon driveways, parking, pedestrian, and emergency access areas, eliminating the accessibility of trash to the elements and animals, and to prevent rainwater infiltration into the trash storage area and run-off from reaching storm drains. The trash enclosure shall conform to the following standards:

All required trash enclosures shall include adequate, accessible, and convenient areas for storing and loading trash, recyclables, and organic materials, and shall meet the requirements as shown in Illustrations 19.524.010.

Location. Enclosures shall be readily accessible to building occupants, facility maintenance personnel, and to the City's contracted trash hauler, and shall not interfere with other activities on the site. An enclosure shall be located within 250 feet of the appropriate doorway of each business. Enclosures shall provide adeguate access so as to minimize effort in the collection and removal of container contents from the enclosures. A rear or side access door or gate shall be installed for multi-tenant users to easily access bins. Such location shall be subject to the approval of the Planning Division.

Maintenance. All trash enclosures and adjacent paving shall be maintained.

If the required expansion of any existing trash enclosure requires the removal of one parking space or increase in the number of compact parking spaces beyond what is allowed under Section 19.536.060 (Parking Dimensions and Layout), it may be granted under Section 19.128.090 (Zoning Compliance Review).

All trash enclosures shall obtain approval for capacity, location, and design from the City's franchise waste hauler before issuance of a building permit.

Upon written acceptance from the franchised agent for trash disposal, the requirement for a trash enclosure may be waived by the Director for a trash compactor, provided that the storage of the compactor and all trash shall be kept within the building and that the type and amount of trash will not create a public nuisance.

Illustration 19.524.010 Trash Enclosure Requirements Trash, Recyclables, and Organic Material Waste Bins
Examples	Access/Location Requirements:
	•	Maneuvering areas shall meet the minimum requirements of equivalent size loading area including:
		○	Overhead clearance of 20 feet must be provided in front of the enclosure to allow containers to be emptied by the front-end loader collection vehicles.
		○	A turnaround must be provided for any street, driveway, or travel aisle that would otherwise require the collection truck to back up a distance greater than 100 feet. A minimum of a 42-foot turning radius is required for solid waste collection vehicles.
		○	Driveways and travel aisles shall conform to Section 19.436.040 (Residential Driveway Standards) for multifamily properties or Section 19.536.030 (Driveway Standards) for commercial and industrial properties, or the same standards of Orange County Fire Authority's (OCFA) Master Plans for Commercial and Residential Development for access and clearance, whichever is greater.
	Construction Requirements:
	•	Provide a minimum 6-inch reinforced block wall construction.
	•	Enclosures shall be constructed of masonry block or concrete tilt-ups and a horizontal or sloped non-combustible material solid roof, designed to screen the bins.
	•	Enclosures shall be appropriately located and screened from view on at least 3 sides by a wall at least 6 feet in height, and on the 4th side by gates not less than 5 feet in height made of a solid non-combustible material with latches and bolts.
	•	The gates should be maintained in good working order and should remain closed except when in use. The enclosure opening, including gates and hinges, must provide a minimum opening of 9 feet to allow containers to be moved in and out of the enclosure.
	•	The floor of the enclosure shall be a Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pad, flush with adjacent driveway.
	•	Provide a minimum 10-foot by 10-foot PCC pad outside the entrance to the enclosure that is capable of withstanding the impact of bins being set down, and a 20-ton stationary load, as needed.
	•	Provide a 6-inch-wide by 8-inch-high concrete curb at the base of interior walls for the protection of walls from trash containers and bins.
	•	If multiple containers are to be stored in any one trash enclosure, space must be provided to allow access to each of the bins or carts. Access aisles between containers must be a minimum of 30 inches wide.
	•	The roof shall extend sufficiently outward in all directions so that wind-blown rain will not enter the interior of the storage area. A minimum of 8 feet of vertical clearance within the storage area shall be provided to allow the container lids to be fully opened and closed inside the trash enclosure. If fire sprinklers or drop lighting are installed within the enclosure, the minimum vertical clearance of 8 feet will be measured from the lowest point of the sprinkler heads, lighting, or any other fixture.
	•	Enclosures for compactors located outside the building shall be constructed of masonry block, designed to screen the bins, hydraulic lines, and accessory components, and to be architecturally compatible with other buildings on the site.
	•	Structural details shall be approved by the Building Division.
	•	For containers exceeding 4 cubic yards, the following design features shall be followed:
		○	A minimum of a 15-foot vertical clearance is required within the enclosure so the collection vehicle can reach the bin.
		○	Door openings shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width to allow for direct pick up by the collection vehicle.
		○	The entrance gate should be capable of being latched open so that an 8-foot-wide truck can access the enclosure.
		○	Provide for direct access by the collection vehicle. At a minimum, a lane, 10 feet wide by 30 feet in length, directly in front of the enclosure.
	Design/Finish:
	•	Block walls shall be of a decorative finish and color treated to be compatible with the primary structures or walls located on the property.
	•	Roofs shall be of a non-combustible decorative material and color to complement the design of the primary structure.
	•	Architectural features and design shall be approved by the Planning Division.
	Note:
	•	Deviations from these standards may be considered at the discretion of the Director of Community and Economic Development.

(Ord. 1730, 11/14/2023)

Outdoor storage of materials, equipment, or other items is permitted only where allowed under Section 19.512.010, subject to all other limitations of this Division and other laws. Outdoor storage shall not be located in any required parking area, loading area or accessway, in any front yard, in any area required to be landscaped, or in any area where a six-foot-high fence is not permitted.

Except as further provided in this section, all outdoor storage shall be screened from public view (as defined in Section 19.104.080); and, if located within three hundred thirty feet of a freeway or major highway, shall also be screened from view from such freeway or highway. Required screening shall be accomplished by one or more of the following methods:

By buildings or structures located on the same lot as the outdoor storage;

By buildings or structures located on abutting property where such buildings or structures immediately abut the property line;

By fences at least six feet high which meet the requirements of Chapter 19.528. Where access drives or walks enter such fenced outdoor storage areas, they shall have gates with substantially the same height, appearance, and screening effectiveness as the required fencing.

Stored materials or other items shall not be stacked higher than the sight-screening provided.

The following exceptions from the sight-screening requirements of subsections B and C of this section are permitted:

Plant nursery stock, when neatly arranged, need not be screened. All stored items other than living plants shall be screened.

New or used vehicles (not in a damaged condition and not scrap or junk) being held in storage for eventual sale by a vehicle sales agency and not part of a dealership display of clean inventory, shall be screened from public view but need not be screened from a freeway.