Southgate City Administrator Dustin Lent (upper left) explains a proposed ordinance to govern the use of temporary storage containers during an Aug. 4 online city council meeting.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
SOUTHGATE – City Administrator Dustin Lent explained a proposed ordinance to regulate residential and commercial outdoor temporary storage containers during the Aug. 4 City Council meeting, and its first reading was held.
He said the city has an ordinance for permanent storage containers, but not temporary ones.
“You probably drive around and you see what’s called these PODS or portable storage units in people’s driveways or yards, and we are created an ordinance so we can handle these things a little bit more,” he said. “The ordinance will allow us to know, have them pull a permit, know when the storage unit is being put out, and then also to be able to regulate how long the portable storage units will be allowed to be in somebody’s driveway or front yard.”
The ordinance would apply to residential and commercially zoned properties.
A portable storage container is a box-like container, delivered by a truck, in which to temporarily store household or other non-toxic and non-hazardous goods, and may not be part of a motorized vehicle, other than when it is attached for dropoff and removal.
The containers may be used to prepare for a move or to store items during a remodeling or similar purposes.
An application and fee payment with the city will be required to have a PSC delivered, and a permit from the building director will be required when the PSC is sought in conjunction with construction.
A PSC may be used for 30 consecutive days in a 12-month period, unless used for a remodel or construction, in which case in may remain until 10 days after the project is completed.
One 30-day extension will be granted, at the city’s discretion, for extenuating circumstances.
In a residential area, a PSC may be up to 16 feet long, 8 feet wide and 8 feet tall, while in a commercial district, it may be up to 20 feet long.
One PSC may be in a residential zone, and up to three in a commercial zone, subject to approval. Additional PSCs will be approved only in extenuating circumstances.
The PSCs may not be closer than 10 feet from a property line or from a public or private street right-of-way.
In addition, the PSCs may only have the business name, address and phone number on them, and may not have other text and graphics, such as advertising, slogans and logos.
In a residential or agricultural district, a PSC may only contain personal property, and not commercial goods, business inventory or personal goods not associated with the property on which it is placed.