The purpose of this chapter is to:
A. 
Recognize automotive service related uses as a special class of commercial land use;
B. 
Provide development and operation regulations in order to ensure compatibility between automotive service-related uses and surrounding land uses;
C. 
Protect and promote pedestrian safety in and around automotive service related uses; and
D. 
Prevent automotive service related uses from having negative effects on the development or redevelopment of surrounding property.
A. 
This chapter shall apply to applications for automotive service related uses.
B. 
In the event of any inconsistency between regulations in this chapter and those outside of this chapter, the provisions of this chapter shall govern.
A. 
Automotive service related uses require an Administrative Use Permit, which is a discretionary action approved by the Development Review Committee. Refer to Part 5 (Land Use and Development Approval Procedures) of the Zoning Ordinance for permit application procedures.
B. 
The review authority shall be guided by the provisions of this chapter when reviewing an application for an automotive service related use, in addition to the standards of the zone in which the use is proposed. In the event of any inconsistency between regulations in this chapter and those outside of this chapter, the provisions of this chapter shall govern.
A. 
Automotive service related sales may include the following primary uses:
1. 
Automobile repairs,
2. 
Automobile rental facilities,
3. 
Automobile service stations,
4. 
Automobile/vehicle sales and leasing,
5. 
Automobile broker/wholesaler
6. 
Automobile/vehicle washing,
7. 
Automotive storage/towing and impound,
8. 
Automotive accessory/equipment installations,
9. 
Smog check testing facilities.
B. 
Automotive service related uses may include the following temporary uses and structures:
1. 
Limited parking of vehicles, provided that any such parking is in designated parking areas and shall not exceed a continuous period of 72 hours for any vehicle within the designated parking area.
2. 
Promotional sales, subject to approval of a special event permit issued in compliance with all provisions of Chapter 17.41 (Temporary Use Permits and Film Permits).
3. 
Temporary advertising displays, signs, flags, or banners, subject to compliance with the provisions of Chapter 17.15 (Signs).
A. 
All automotive service related uses shall:
1. 
Be on sites that are of adequate size and shape, as set forth in this chapter or otherwise determined by the reviewing body,
2. 
Not cause congestion, nuisance, or hazard.
A. 
General Standards and Guidelines.
1. 
Design. The development, construction, remodeling, alteration, and enlargement of automotive service related uses shall:
a. 
Be of high quality architecture and materials,
b. 
Be compatible for the zone the in which they are located,
c. 
Be subject to review and approval through the City's design review process.
2. 
Driveways.
a. 
Driveway access shall be at least 10 feet from the beginning of a curve of a street corner or at least 10 feet from an interior property line.
b. 
There shall not be more than two vehicular accessways to any one street for each development site.
c. 
There shall be no vehicular accessways along any frontage where the property directly across the street is in any residential zone.
3. 
Landscaping.
a. 
All landscaping shall comply with the provisions provided in Chapter 17.12 (Landscaping) unless stated otherwise in this section.
b. 
All landscaping areas shall be planted with living plant materials, unless otherwise approved by the Development Review Committee.
c. 
Plantings shall be dispersed to limit large expanses of paved areas.
d. 
All landscaping areas shall be provided with permanent automatic irrigation systems.
e. 
All planters shall be enclosed by a 6-inch raised concrete curb or other acceptable raised border.
f. 
Planters shall be provided along the property lines adjacent to residentially zoned areas and shall be at least 10 feet in width.
g. 
To provide effective screening, an average of one tree shall be planted for each 20 feet of an interior property line abutting a residential zone.
h. 
Trees shall be provided with sufficient tree well area for the tree type and surrounding area and shall be of a minimum size of 24 inches boxed.
i. 
A planting strip at least 5 feet in width or a landscaped berm at least 5 feet in width and 2 feet in height shall be established and maintained along any property line abutting a street.
j. 
Any planting within 10 feet of an entry or exit driveway shall not be permitted to grow higher than 2 feet.
k. 
At least a 5-foot-wide, fully landscaped parking setback area along the street frontage(s) shall be provided for outdoor vehicle storage or sales display areas adjacent to a street right-of-way(s).
l. 
At least a 6-foot-high decorative masonry wall shall separate outdoor vehicle storage or sales display areas from an abutting residential zone or an alley.
m. 
Where a wall abuts an alley, no gate or other opening shall exceed 20 feet in width.
n. 
No barbed wire, razor wire, or other hazardous materials shall be placed on top of a wall.
4. 
Lighting.
a. 
All lighting shall comply with the provisions provided in Chapter 17.14 (Outdoor Lighting) unless stated otherwise in this section.
b. 
Light fixtures shall not exceed 15 feet in height above the sidewalk surface or ground level on which they are located.
c. 
Light fixtures shall deflect light away from and avoid undue annoyance to any residential properties.
d. 
During evening and night hours of operation, lighting shall illuminate at least an average of 1 foot-candle.
e. 
Lighting shall not constitute a hazard to vehicle operators on the public street or those entering and leaving the station premises.
f. 
Landscape lighting fixtures shall be installed in close proximity to the ground, but in no event to exceed 3 feet in height, and of such intensity as not to constitute hazard to vehicle operators on the public street or those entering and leaving the station premises.
5. 
Parking.
a. 
Vehicle parking and loading areas shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 17.11 (Parking and Loading) unless stated otherwise in this section.
b. 
All parking spaces shall be located on-site.
c. 
Outdoor storage areas used for the parking of vehicles for sale shall not be credited toward the parking requirements set forth in Chapter 17.11 (Parking and Loading).
6. 
Refuse.
a. 
Any refuse areas shall be located on-site in an sufficiently sized area and enclosed by a minimum 6-foot-high masonry wall.
b. 
Refuse shall be located in the rear portion of the property in such manner as to be accessible to refuse collection vehicles.
7. 
Security. Any automotive service related use, either singly or in combination with any other use, operated on a self-service basis, shall provide security measures satisfactory to the police chief for the protection of personnel and the general public.
8. 
Signs. All signs shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 17.15 (Signs) unless stated otherwise in this section.
9. 
Storage Areas. All storage areas shall be screened from view from the public right-of-way or single-family residential property.
10. 
Utilities. All utility services shall be installed underground.
11. 
Noise. All automotive uses shall comply with the provisions of the Noise Ordinance and shall be designed and operated to minimize disruption and nuisances to adjacent properties.
B. 
Automotive Repair.
1. 
Activities must be conducted within a building.
2. 
All goods and equipment shall be stored inside a building.
3. 
There shall be no hoists or wheel alignment racks outside of a building.
4. 
Service bay openings should not be oriented toward the primary street.
5. 
A work station used for vehicle repair, body work, or for vehicle painting shall not be credited toward meeting the parking requirement.
C. 
Automotive Service Station.
1. 
The lot area shall be at least 10,000 square feet.
2. 
The front property line shall be at least 100 lineal feet. Where the site also abuts upon a side street or alley, the property line abutting such street or alley shall be at least 90 lineal feet.
3. 
All gasoline pumps, pump islands, and equipment shall be at least 20 feet from any public right-of-way.
4. 
Canopies over pump islands shall be at least 5 feet from any property line.
5. 
No mechanical servicing or greasing of trucks in excess of 4 tons capacity or industrial equipment of any type or character shall be permitted.
6. 
The sale of merchandise not clearly incidental to the automotive industry shall not be permitted except within an enclosed building.
7. 
Parking areas shall not block ingress to or egress from pump islands or service bays.
8. 
Driveway access shall be at least 5 feet from the beginning of a curve of a street corner or at least 5 feet from an interior property line.
9. 
The outer radius of any turning area to all pump islands shall be at least 25 feet.
10. 
At least 1 unisex public restroom that meets all ADA requirements shall be provided within a building and maintained in clean and fully functional condition during business operation.
D. 
Automotive/Vehicle Sales, Leasing, and Rental.
1. 
The minimum lot area shall be 20,000 square feet.
2. 
Gross weight of vehicles for sale, lease, or rent shall not exceed 7.5 tons in the mixed-use zones.
E. 
Automotive/Vehicle Washing (Car Wash).
1. 
The car wash area or facility entrances, exits, and openings shall not face any property in any residential zone.
2. 
The dispensing of motor vehicle fuel and lubricants shall be allowed only at non-self-service car washes, provided that all pumps, pump islands, canopies and equipment devoted to such use be set back at least:
a. 
15 feet from any public street right-of-way;
b. 
10 feet from any abutting property line; and
c. 
25 feet from any residential zone.
3. 
Wash and rinse water shall be 80 percent reclaimed and recirculated.
4. 
All car wash facilities shall comply with the City's industrial waste permit requirements and the Waste Discharge Requirements and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit requirements for municipal storm water and urban runoff discharges.
5. 
The water from car wash sites shall not flow onto any public sidewalk.
F. 
Automotive Storage Lots/Towing and Impound.
1. 
All outdoor storage areas shall be enclosed on at least three sides by a solid decorative masonry wall at least 6 feet in height and no greater than 8 feet.
2. 
Any opening to the storage area shall be provided with a view-obscuring gate.
3. 
No outdoor storage shall project above the height of the required wall, except vehicles, so long as they are not stacked on top of other vehicles.
4. 
Impounded or stored vehicles (whether operative, inoperative, or wrecked) or parts thereof may only be stored for a maximum of 190 days on the site, except for specific cases where:
a. 
The City, its Police Department, or another law enforcement agency orders or requests the impounding or storage of a vehicle or parts for a longer period, and an owner or operator of a towing service and impound yard submits a copy of the order or the request to the Development Services Director or a designee;
b. 
A court with jurisdiction orders the impounding or storage of a vehicle or parts for a longer time; or
c. 
An owner or operator of a towing service and impound yard submits a document, satisfactory to the Development Services Director or a designee, showing that a lawsuit (that opposes or contests the towing service and impound yard's right to lien or sell a vehicle or parts) was filed in court, the lawsuit is pending, and the court has ordered the towing service and impound yard to store the vehicle or parts until the lawsuit's conclusion.
5. 
In the above cases, the 190-day time limit shall be extended according to the time period requested or ordered, or until conclusion of the lawsuit.