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16.307 AUTOMOBILE SErVICE STATIONS
16.307.01 PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY
These regulations are intended to ensure that Service Stations do not result in adverse impacts on adjacent land uses, especially residential uses, due to:
A. The traffic, glare and patterns of use associated with Service Stations, particularly those open 24 hours per day, may be incompatible with nearby uses and especially residential use; B. Their typically longer hours of operation may result in a higher incidence of crime.
The following requirements apply to all new Service Stations and existing Service Stations proposing an expansion of 10 percent or greater in floor area.
16.307.02 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
A. Locational Limitations. Service stations shall be located at the intersection of 2 major streets or a major and a collector street, or as part of a planned shopping center, freeway-oriented commercial services complex, or other planned commercial concentration. B. Minimum Parcel Size. The minimum parcel size for development of a Service Station is 15,000 square feet except for those operated as part of a planned complex. C. Minimum Street Frontage. Each parcel shall have a minimum street frontage of 100 feet on each abutting street. D. Setbacks. No building or structure shall be located within 30 feet of any public right-of-way or within 20 feet of any interior parcel line. E. Gasoline Pumps. Gasoline pumps shall be located at least 15 feet from any property line and a minimum of 20 feet from any public right-of-way. F. Canopies. Canopies shall be located at least 5 feet from any property line. G. Screening. Service Stations shall be separated from an adjacent property by a decorative masonry wall or vegetative screening, not less than 6 feet in height. Materials, textures, colors and design of all walls shall be compatible with the design of the
Service Station design. Required screening walls shall comply with Section 16.501.11, Visibility at Intersections, Alleys, and Driveways. 1. Service stations that abut or are across an alley from a residential zoning district shall comply with all the following standards:
a. A 6-foot masonry wall at shall be constructed along the property line abutting the residential zoning district or along the property line which is across the alley from said zoning district; b. All site lighting and lighted signs shall be directed away or shielded from the residential zoning district; c. The use shall comply with the front and side yard requirements applicable to the affected residential zoning district. All required yards shall be appropriately landscaped. d. Existing chain link and barbed wire fencing, bollards and chains shall be removed and replaced with fencing consistent with the requirements of Section 16.504.03,
Landscaping Standards from any existing
Service Station proposing an expansion of 10 percent or greater in floor area or reconfiguration of existing pumps, addition of new pumps, or new canopy structures.
H. Landscaping. The Service Station site shall be landscaped consistent with Chapter 16.504,
Landscaping, and the following standards:
1. A minimum of 15 percent of the site shall be landscaped. A planting strip at least 5 feet wide shall be provided along all street frontages and at least 3 feet wide along all interior property lines and adjacent to buildings. Planters shall be surrounded by masonry or concrete curbs and arranged so as to preclude motor vehicles from driving across the sidewalk at locations other than access driveways. 2. Permanent opaque landscaping or berms shall be provided and maintained in the planters at a height of not less than 3 feet above the average adjacent grade. 3. A landscaped planter at least 150 square feet in area shall be provided at the intersection of 2 property lines at a street corner. 4. All existing street trees shall be preserved or replaced where missing, as required by Chapter 16.504, Landscaping subject to review and approval by the City Engineer. Driveways and vehicle approaches shall be designed so as not to necessitate the removal of any existing street trees.
I. Transition Requirements Adjacent to Residential zoning districts. Where an Automobile/Vehicle Service Station Use is adjacent to a Residential Zoning District, the following standards apply.
1. Minimum Setbacks. Buildings used for parking and vehicle storage that are adjacent to a
Residential Zoning District not containing an existing Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing
Use shall be set back a minimum 10 feet from the shared property line. Buildings used for any other use allowed by this Chapter shall be set back a minimum 15 feet from the shared property line. 2. Landscaping and Screening. A continuous planting area with a minimum width of 7.5 feet shall be provided along any interior parcel line adjacent to a Residential Zoning District.
J. Driveways. For new Service Stations, no more than one driveway with a maximum width of 35 feet shall be permitted on any one street frontage and shall be located as follows: driveways shall not be located closer than 50 feet from a street intersection, 15 feet from a residential property line or alley, nor as to otherwise interfere with the movement and safety of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, subject to the approval of the Director. K. Lubrication Bays and Wash Racks. All lubrication bays and wash racks shall be located within a fully enclosed building. Access to the service bays and wash racks shall not be located within 50 feet of property in a Residential Zoning District. L. Parking. Parking shall be provided according to the standards of Chapter 16.508, Off-Street
Parking and Loading, and the following:
1. Customer and employee parking shall not be used for automobile repair, finishing work or storage of vehicles. 2. Vehicles being serviced may be parked on the premises for a maximum of 2 weeks in additional parking spaces specifically provided for this purpose. 3. No vehicle that will be or has been serviced may be parked on public streets, sidewalks, parkways, driveways or alleys. 4. No vehicle may be parked on the premises for the purpose of offering it for sale. M. Air and Water. Each Service Station shall provide air and water to customers without charge and at a convenient location during hours when gasoline is dispensed. N. Restrooms. Each Service Station shall provide a public restroom accessible to the general public including persons with disabilities during all hours the Service Station is open to the public. Restrooms shall be attached to a structure on site with entrances or signage clearly visible from the gasoline service area or cashier station and concealed from view of adjacent properties by planters of decorative screening and shall be maintained on a regular basis. O. Vending Machines. Coin-operated vending machines may be permitted within or abutting a structure for the purpose of dispensing items commonly found in
Service Stations, such as refreshments and maps. P. Convenience stores. Convenience stores or minimarkets may be permitted on the site of a Service
Station subject to approval of a Minor Use Permit and the following development standards:
1. The Service Station shall be on a site at least 15,000 square feet in area that is located on a collector street; 2. A convenience store or mini-market located in an addition or free-standing structure shall meet all of the development standards applicable to the zoning district in which the site is located and shall be designed with materials compatible with the design of the Service Station and surrounding properties. 3. Arcade or game machines or other coinoperated electronic machines are prohibited. 4. Unless otherwise provided by the decision-making body, if the Service Station is within 100 feet of a residential zoning district, the convenience store or mini market operation shall be prohibited between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. 5. A convenience store or mini-market may sell beer and wine under a ABC Type 20 license provided the total floor area devoted to display of such products does not exceed 10 percent of the gross floor area, subject to securing a Major Use Permit.
Q. Lighting for Aprons and Canopies. Lighting levels on gasoline station/convenience store aprons and under canopies shall be adequate to facilitate the activities taking place in such locations.
1. Service Stations. Lighting for service station canopies shall be considered Class 2 lighting (General Illumination). 2. Shielding. Light fixtures mounted on canopies shall be recessed so that the lens cover is recessed or flush with the bottom surface of the canopy and/or shielded by the fixture or the edge of the canopy. 3. Total Under-Canopy Output. The total light output used for illuminating service station canopies, defined as the sum of all under-canopy initial bare-lamp outputs in lumens, shall not exceed 40 lumens per square foot. All lighting mounted under the canopy, including but not limited to luminaires mounted on the lower surface or recessed into the lower surface of the canopy and any lighting within signage or illuminated panels over the pumps, is to be included toward the total at full initial lumen output.
R. Location of Activities. All repair and service activities and operations on the site of a Service
Station shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed service building, except as follows:
1. The dispensing of petroleum products, water, and air from pump islands and other designated locations on the site; 2. Replacement service activities such as wiper blades, fuses, radiator caps, and lamps; 3. Minor repair work taking less than one hour to perform; 4. The sale of items from vending machines placed next to the principal building in a designated area not to exceed 32 square feet and screened from public view; 5. The display of merchandise offered for customer convenience on each pump island, provided that the aggregate display area on each island shall not exceed 12 square feet and that the products shall be enclosed in a specially designed case; and 6. Motor vehicle products displayed along the front of the building and within 36 inches of the building, limited to 5 feet in height and not more than 10 feet in length. S. Solid Waste Storage and Disposal. Trash areas shall be provided and screened as required by Section 16.501.08, Solid Waste, Recycling, and Organic Waste Storage, and according to the following:
1. All trash shall be deposited in the trash area and the gates leading thereto shall be maintained in working order and shall remain closed except when in use. 2. Solid waste bins shall be provided and placed in a location convenient for customers. 3. Trash areas shall not be used for storage. The premises shall be kept in a neat and orderly condition at all times and all improvements shall be maintained in a condition of reasonable repair and appearance. No used or discarded automotive parts or equipment, or permanently disabled, junked or wrecked vehicles may be stored outside the main building.
T. Security Plan. A security plan shall be developed by the applicant and approved by the City Chief of Police prior to issuance of a Building Permit.
16.308.01 PURPOSE AND APPLICABILITY
These provisions are intended to allow for the expansion and improved performance of automobile dealers (new and pre-owned vehicles) leasing and rental agencies in the City at appropriate locations and in a manner that minimizes negative effects on surrounding businesses and residences. More specifically, these provisions are intended to:
A. Allow automobile dealers to expand in their current locations as long as their redevelopment is in the urban auto dealership format and incorporates mitigations to reduce any negative impacts on surrounding residential and nonresidential uses; B. Encourage new automobile dealers and automobile rental establishments to locate in areas proposed to accommodate auto-oriented and auto-related uses and to develop shared inventory storage facilities in appropriate locations to meet their needs; and C. Encourage dealerships to provide on-site automobile storage in above-grade structures or subterranean parking facilities.
All new Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing and Automobile Storage uses shall comply with the requirements of this Chapter.
D. Existing Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing uses are required to comply with the standards for development in conjunction with any one of the following:
1. Any new construction or expansion of floor area, in which case only the expanded floor area shall be required to comply with the standards; 2. Any outdoor expansion of vehicle display area, in which case only the expanded floor area shall be required to comply with the standards of this Chapter; or 3. Any expansion of the land area on which the dealership is located, whether by purchase, lease, business combination or acquisition, or similar method, in which case only the expanded land area shall be required to comply with the standards of this Chapter. This provision does not apply if the expanded land area was legally operated as a dealership within one year of the expansion. E. Auto-dealership uses on parcels on Sonoma Boulevard south of Lewis Brown Drive and north of Couch
Street in operation prior to the effective date of this
Zoning Code and which have not subsequently been abandoned, are permitted uses that may be maintained or modified subject to the requirements of this Chapter.
16.308.02 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing businesses shall comply with the development standards—including but not limited to maximum height, maximum FAR, and minimum setbacks—for the respective zoning district or Districts in which they are located. If the development standards for the respective zoning district or districts conflict with the standards included in this Chapter, the standards of this Chapter shall apply. The following development standards apply to Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing uses:
A. Showrooms. Automobile/Vehicle Sales and
Leasing Uses shall be developed to include indoor showrooms for display of vehicles for sale or lease. 1. Maximum Setback. Showrooms shall be located no farther than 15 feet from the property lines facing any boulevard and shall occupy at least 60 percent or 100 feet, whichever is greater, of the site frontage along such boulevards. 2. Treatment of Setbacks. If a setback is provided along any street frontage, the setback area (any area between building and sidewalk) shall be landscaped or improved as an extension of the public sidewalk to include pedestrian amenities. This requirement applies to all portions of a street-facing setback area that are not used for driveways or other accessways. 3. Façade Height. Showrooms shall be constructed to achieve at least the minimum required façade height of the zoning district in which they are located. 4. Transparency. Street-facing facades fronting major arterials or corridors shall have transparent glazing that provides views into display and sales areas. Transparent windows or doors shall be provided for at least 75 percent of the building wall area located between 2.5 and 7 feet above the level of the sidewalk. No wall may run in a continuous horizontal plane for more than 25 feet without an opening.
B. Location of Required Parking and Storage.
Parking and vehicle storage shall be located behind the street frontage or in a garage structure that complies with the applicable requirements of Chapter 16.508, Off-Street Parking and Loading. Parking and vehicle storage may not be located between a vehicle showroom and any adjacent street. C. Transition Requirements Adjacent to Residential zoning districts. Where an Automobile/Vehicle
Sales and Leasing Use is adjacent to a Residential
Zoning District, the following standards apply.
1. Minimum Setbacks. Buildings used for parking and vehicle storage that are adjacent to a
Residential Zoning District not containing an existing Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing
Use shall be set back a minimum 10 feet from the shared property line. Buildings used for any other use allowed by this Chapter shall be set back a minimum 15 feet from the shared property line. 2. Landscaping and Screening. A continuous planting area with a minimum width of 7.5 feet shall be provided along any interior parcel line adjacent to a Residential Zoning District.
D. Screening. All outdoor areas used in conjunction with the business shall be screened in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 16.505, Fences, Walls and Screening. E. Parking, Vehicle Storage, and Display. Parking structures and automobile storage uses associated with an
Automobile/Vehicle Sales and Leasing business permitted to maintain inventory on the same site shall comply with the following development and design standards:
1. Customer parking shall comply with all standards of
Chapter 16.508, Off-Street Parking and Loading. 2. Employee and inventory parking may be provided in tandem and is not subject to the minimum parking space and aisle dimensions of Chapter 16.508,
Off-Street Parking and Loading. Final design of all parking and inventory storage areas shall be subject to review and approval by the Director. 3. Parking structures shall comply with the following standards: a. Except for emergency-only pedestrian exits required by the Building Official, parking structure walls facing property lines that are adjacent to a residential use shall be solid and decorative, subject to development plan approval pursuant to
Chapter 16.605, Development Review; b. Non-skid or other similar surface treatment on both floors and ramps of the parking structure shall be required to prevent tire squeals. This material shall be subject to the review and approval of the Director; c. Rooftop parking on parcels that directly abut or are separated by an alley from a
Residential Zoning District is only permitted if the parking structure provides a 6-foot parapet on the side of the parking structure closest to the Residential Zoning District.
This parapet shall be solid and have a surface density of 4 pounds per square foot; and d. In order to minimize noise and air impacts, exhaust vents and other mechanical equipment associated with a parking structure shall be located as far from residential uses as possible consistent with the requirements of this Zoning Code.
4. Lighting. Lighting shall comply with Chapter 16.506, Lighting and Glare. Light sources shall be designed to contain direct and diffuse lighting and glare on the subject property. 5. Queuing of Vehicles. An adequate on-site queuing area for service customers shall be provided. On-site driveways may be used for queuing but may not interfere with access to required parking spaces. Required parking spaces may not double as queuing spaces.
6. Vehicle Stacking Equipment. Vehicle-stacking equipment is permitted within structures and on surface lots for employee parking and vehicle storage when screened with an 8-foot-high solid masonry wall. The wall shall be set back from the property line at least 2 feet so that a landscaped buffer of up to 2 feet in width can be provided.
Parking spaces in lifts shall not be applicable in calculating parking requirements. All facilities shall comply with the City’s Noise Ordinance and
Section 16.502.10, Noise, of this Zoning Code. 7. Resource Recovery Storage. Floor area dedicated to employee and customer parking and vehicle storage shall be excluded when applying resource recovery and recycling requirements in Section 16.501.08, Solid Waste, Recycling, and Organic
Waste Storage, unless otherwise required by the
Director of Public Works in order to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare.
16.308.03 OPERATING STANDARDS
All businesses shall be operated according to the following standards:
A. Customer and Employee Parking. 1. On-site customer parking shall be provided at no charge to the customers. 2. Areas designated for employee or customer parking shall not be used for vehicle storage or display.
B. Loading and Unloading of Vehicles. Loading and unloading of vehicles shall comply with an off-loading plan approved by the Director. The dealership operator shall be responsible and liable for any activities of a common carrier, operator, or other person controlling such loading or unloading activities to the extent any such activities violate the provisions of this Chapter.
1. Loading and unloading of vehicles is generally limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday unless the Director determines that off-loading can be accomplished during another time period without disturbing nearby residents. Loading and unloading of vehicles is prohibited on Sundays and legal holidays. 2. Vehicle off-loading shall not be permitted from streets that abut residential parcels in
Residential Zoning District unless no other offloading alternative is feasible, and an alternative operational plan is approved by the Director. 3. The applicant shall prepare and submit to the
Director for approval a plan that complies with all requirements of this Chapter.
C. Storage of Vehicles. No automobile dealership owner, operator, or employee, for any period of time on any public street or alley, shall park or store vehicles for sale, to be repaired, that have been repaired, or that are part of an automobile rental operation associated with the dealership. D. Circulation. Entries and exits shall be located as far away from adjacent residential properties as reasonably feasible by means of signage and design.
If structured parking or storage is used, the interior circulation system between levels shall be internal to the building and shall not require use of public ways or of externally visible or uncovered ramps, driveways, or parking areas. No arrangement shall be permitted which requires vehicles to back into a public street. E. Noise control. Businesses shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 16.502.10, Noise and the following requirements, whichever is stricter:
1. There shall be no outdoor loudspeakers. Interior loudspeakers shall produce no more than 45 dba at a boundary abutting or adjacent to a residential parcel under normal operating conditions (e.g., with windows open if they are likely to be opened). 2. All noise-generating equipment exposed to the exterior shall be muffled with sound-absorbing materials to minimize noise impacts on adjacent properties and shall not be operated before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. if reasonably likely to cause annoyance to abutting or adjacent residences and shall at all times be in compliance with the City’s
Noise Ordinance and Section 16.502.10, Noise.
F. Toxic Storage and Disposal.
1. Gasoline storage tanks shall be constructed and maintained in compliance with the requirements applicable to automobile service stations.
