Stephen Scott, Assistant Director       

Jennifer Frastai, Director     

Engineering & Community Development Department

In February 2010, the City passed Ordinance No. O-2010-008, establishing certain technical and aesthetic guidelines for fencing on residential and new non-residential properties. The Ordinance also required any new storage yards to be built with non-pierced masonry walls.

On September 6, 2017, the City Commission passed an Ordinance amending Chapter 24, Section 24-79.1, establishing certain aesthetic and other requirements for fencing around storage yards that did not conform with the requirements of the 2010 Ordinance in that they were pre-existing throughout the City. These changes require all storage yards to come into compliance by July 3, 2020. There are between 150 and 200 outside storage yards that do not meet the requirements of the Ordinance, and will be required to come into compliance by July 2020.

Staff will present its action plan for moving forward with the implementation of the new provisions of the outside storage Ordinance.

The new outside storage requirements include:

1. Storage areas must be completely fenced in as viewed from the street with vision obscuring materials.

2. The type of vision obscuring materials that are acceptable on these permanent lots  does not include temporary "construction site" nylon.

3. Fences or walls must be between 6.5 and 8 feet.

4. Storage visible over the fence line is limited to items that are directly related to the business associated with the lot.

5. Barbed wire is limited to the I-1 Industrial zoning districts.

Outreach to impacted businesses will include:

     1. Written notification to property owners (brochure, informational materials).

     2. Open House for Businesses.

     3. Website enhancement .

     4. Site visits and meetings as needed.

     5. Encouraging early compliance with potential incentive packages.

Staff's presentation will summarize these changes and detail staff's plan for public outreach, assistance and education to encourage compliance as soon as possible by City businesses.