O1695
CA:MHS:washl\wp5l\pc\df
City Council Meeting 7-27-93
Santa Monica, California
ORDINANCE NUMBER 1695(CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
ESTABLISHING STANDARDS FOR AUTOMOBILE
WASHING FACILITIES IN CERTAIN ZONES ON
AN INTERIM BASIS AND DECLARING THE PRESENCE
OF AN EMERGENCY
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES ORDAIN AS
FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Findings.
The city Council finds and
declares:
(a) The Zoning Ordinance defines "automobile washing
facility" but does not authorize that use in any zoning district.
The city intends to study the Zoning Ordinance and determine
under what conditions automobile washing facilities should be
authorized, and what standards should apply to those facilities.
(b) Pending such study and amendment of the Zoning
ordinance, it is necessary on an interim basis to allow
automobile washing facilities in designated zoning districts,
subject to specified standards. without such an interim measure,
new automobile washing facilities would be effectively banned
from all districts in the city. Automobile washing facilities
are a necessary service and convenience to Santa Monica citizens
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so long as the development of the facility appropriately takes
into account the potential effect on the integrity and character
of the district in which the use it to be located; the
compatibility of the use with the surrounding neighborhood and
general area in which the use is to be located; and other'
potential detrimental effects.
(c) The existing ban on automobile washing facilities poses
a current and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and
welfare of the citizens, for the reasons set forth above, and the
potential for continued denial of such use would result in a
threat to public health, safety, or welfare.
SECTION 2. Purpose. The purpose of this Ordinance is to
ensure that automobile washing facilities do not result in an
adverse impact on adjacent land uses, especially residential
uses, and to provide for the mitigation of potential noise,
fumes, litter, runoff, bright lights and parking problems which
may be associated with automobile washing facilities. While
automobile washing facilities are needed by residents, visitors,
and employees in the city, the traffic, glare, and patterns of
use associated with automobile washing facilities, particularly
those open twenty-four (24) hours per day, may be incompatible
with nearby uses, particularly residential uses. Therefore, in
the interest of protecting the health, safety, and general
welfare of the City and its residents, special regulation shall
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be imposed on automobile washing facilities, consistent with the
goals, objectives, and policies of the General Plan.
SECTION 3. Interim Zoning. Notwithstanding provisions of
the Zoning Ordinance to the contrary, applications for Automobile
Washing Facilities shall be accepted and reviewed in accordance
with the following standards:
(a) Permitted uses. Automobile washing facilities shall be
a permitted use in the Ml Industrial Conservation District if
located more than one hundred (100) feet from a residential
district.
(b) conditionally Permitted Uses. Automobile washing
facilities shall be permitted subject to the approval of a
conditional use permit in the M1 Industrial Conservation District
if located within one hundred (100) feet of a residential
district, and in the C4 Highway commercial District.
(c) property Development Standards. Any Automobile Washing
Facility authorized by this Ordinance shall comply with the
property development standards for the district in which it is to
be located (including setback, height, etc.), and with the
following standards:
(1) Minimum Parcel size. Seven thousand five hundred
(7,500) square feet.
(2) Setbacks. No building or structure for a self-
service car wash shall be located within thirty (30) feet of any
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public right-of-way or within twenty (20) feet of any interior
parcel line.
(3) Canopies. Any canopy shall be at least five (5)
feet from any property line.
(4) Walls. Automobile washing facilities shall be
separated from adjacent property other than street frontage by a
masonry wall of not less than six (6) feet in height. If
adjacent property is commercially developed and a solid wall
already exists on the property line, the Zoning Administrator may
modify or waive this requirement as necessary to achieve the
purposes of this Ordinance. Materials, textures, colors, and
design of all walls shall be compatible with the design of the
principal structure on the parcel and adjacent properties. No
wall required to be erected and maintained by the provisions of
this section shall be constructed within five (5) feet of a
driveway entrance or vehicle accessway opening onto a street or
alley which would obstruct a cross view of pedestrians on the
sidewalk, alley, or elsewhere, by motorists entering or exiting
the parcel.
(5) Pavinq. The site shall be entirely paved, except
for buildings and landscaping.
(6) Landscapinq. The site shall be landscaped
pursuant to the following standards:
(i) A minimum of ten percent (10%) of the site
shall be landscaped, and shall include, at a minimum, a planting
strip at least three (3) feet wide along all interior parcel
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lines, non-driveway street frontages, and adjacent to buildings.
Planters shall be surrounded by masonry or concrete curbs and so
arranged as to preclude motor vehicles from driving across the
sidewalk at locations other than access driveways. Permanent
opaque landscaping or berming shall be provided and maintained ln
the planters at a height of not less than three (3) feet above
the average adjacent grade.
(ii) A minimum of one hundred fifty (150) square
foot landscaped area shall be provided at the intersection of two
(2) property lines at a street corner.
(iii) All landscaped areas shall be properly
maintained in a neat, orderly, and safe manner, pursuant to
Subchapter 9.04.10.02 of the Zoning Ordinance. Such landscaping
and maintenance shall include, but not be limited to, the
installation and use of an automatic irrigation system,
permanently and completely installed, which delivers water
directly to all landscaped areas.
(iv) All street trees shall be preserved or
replaced where missing, as required by the city, and driveways
and vehicle approaches shall be designed so as not to necessitate
the removal of any existing street trees.
(v) Final landscaping design treatment shall be
subject to review and approval by the Architectural Review Board.
(7) Access and Circulation. Unless otherwise approved
by the Parking and Traffic Engineer, no more than two (2)
driveways shall be permitted on anyone (1) street frontage. If
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one driveway the maximum width shall be thirty-five (35) feet; if
two driveways the maximum width of each shall be thirty (30)
feet. Driveways shall be located as follows:
(i) Driveways shall not be located closer than
fifty (50) feet from a street intersection, fifteen (15) feet
from a residential property line or alley, nor as to otherwise
interfere with the movement and safety of vehicular and
pedestrian traffic.
(ii) All washing facilities shall be located
within a building which is enclosed except those openings
necessary for vehicular and pedestrian access. Such openings
shall not face any adjacent residentially zoned property. Access
to the washing area shall not be located within 50 feet of a
residentially zoned property.
(8) Parking. Parking shall be provided in the
following manner:
(i) There shall be a minimum of two (2) parking
spaces for each washing stall, not including the stall, plus one
(1) space for each three hundred (300) square feet of retail
area. For facilities without defined stalls, the calculated
minimum stall number shall be equal to one (1) stall for each
twenty (20) linear feet of washing area lane.
(ii) The parking area shall be landscaped and
striped in conformance with Subchapter 9.04.10.02 of the Zoning
Ordinance.
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(iii) Customer and employee parking shall not be
utilized for automobile repair or storage of vehicles. Customer
parking areas may be used for hand drying of vehicles.
(iv) No vehicle that will be or has been serviced
may be parked on public streets, sidewalks, parkways, driveways,
or alleys.
(v) No vehicle may be parked on the premises for
the purpose of offering it for sale unless the establishment has
also been approved for automobile sales.
(9) Restrooms. Except for self-service automobile
washing facilities, each automobile washing facility shall
provide a men's and women's restroom which are accessible to
customers, including the physically disabled, during all hours
the establishment is open to the public. Restrooms shall be
attached to a structure on site with entrances or signage visible
from the waiting area or cashier station, shall be maintained on
a regular basis, and concealed from view of adjacent properties
by planters or decorative screening.
(10) Telephones. At least one (1) public telephone
shall be provided at each Automobile Washing Facility.
(11) Vendinq Machines. Coin-operated vending machines
may be permitted within or abutting a structure for the purpose
of dispensing items commonly found in Automobile Washing
Facilities, such as refreshments and maps.
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(12) Game Machines. Up to three (3) arcade or game
machines or other coin-operated electronic machines shall be
permitted if located within an enclosed building.
(13) Location of Activities. All washing, vacuuming,
waxing, machine drying and related activities and operations
shall be conducted entirely within an enclosed service building,
except as follows:
(i) Hand drying of vehicles.
(ii) The sale of items from vending machines
placed next to the main building in a designated area which shall
not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet and shall be screened from
public view.
(14) Refuse Storaqe and Disposal. A trash and
recycling area shall be provided and screened on at least three
(3) sides from public view by a solid opaque impact-resistant
wall not less than five (5) feet in height as required by
Subchapter 9.04.10 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(i) All trash and recycled materials 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.
(ii) Refuse bins shall be provided and placed in
a location convenient for customers.
(iii) 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
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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.
(15) utilities. All utilities shall be placed
underground.
(16) Liqhtinq. All lighting shall comply with the.
provisions of Subchapter 9.04.10.02 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(17) Operation of Facilities. The facility shall at
all times be operated in a manner not detrimental to surrounding
properties or residents. site activities shall not produce or be
reasonably anticipated to produce any of the following:
(i) Damage or nuisance from noise, smoke, odor,
dust, or vibration.
(ii) Hazard from explosion, contamination, or
fire.
(iii) Hazard occasioned by the unusual volume or
character of traffic, or the congregating of a large number of
people or vehicles.
(iv) Glare from headlights.
(18) Hours of Operation. If located within one
hundred (100) feet of a residential district, operation of the
establishment shall be prohibited prior to 8:00 a.m. or after
10:00 p.m. on weekdays, prior to 9:00 a.m. or after 10:00 p.m. on
Saturdays, and prior to 9:00 a.m. or after 9:00 p.m. on Sundays.
(19) Outdoor Loudspeakers. There shall be no outdoor
loudspeakers or public address systems.
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(20) Security Plan. A security plan shall be
developed by the applicant and approved by the Chief of Police
prior to issuance of a building permit.
(21) Oueuinq of Vehicles. An on-site queuing plan for
service customers shall be provided for the approval of the
Parking and Traffic Engineer. On-site driveways may be used for
queuing, but may not interfere with access to required parking
spaces.
(22) Water Recycling. Recycling of water used for
vehicle washing shall be maximized. The Department of General
Services shall approve recycling systems used at automobile
washing facilities.
(23) Air Oualitv.
(i) All mechanical ventilating equipment shall be
directed to top story exhaust vents which face away from any
adjacent residential properties.
(ii) Exhaust systems shall be equipped with
appropriate and reasonably available control technology to
minimize or eliminate noxious pollutants which would otherwise be
emitted.
(24) Noise. All operations at the site shall comply
with the City's Noise Ordinance, as set forth in Chapter 4.12 of
the Santa Monica Municipal Code.
SECTION 4. This Ordinance shall be of no further force and
effect 45 days from its adoption, unless, prior to that date,
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after a public hearing, noticed pursuant to Santa Monica
Municipal Code section 9.04.20.16.050, the City Council, by
majority vote, extends the interim ordinance.
SECTION 5. This Ordinance is declared to be an urgency
measure adopted pursuant to the provisions of Santa Monica
Municipal Code section 9.04.20.16.060 and Santa Monica city
Charter section 615. It is necessary for preserving the public
peace, health and safety, and the urgency for its adoption is set
forth in the findings above.
SECTION 6. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code
or appendices thereto, or Ordinance 1678 (CCS) , inconsistent with
the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such
inconsistencies and no further, are hereby repealed or modified
to that extent necessary to affect the provisions of this
Ordinance.
SECTION 7. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or
phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or
unconstitutional by a decision of any court of any competent
jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the
remaining portions of this Ordinance. The city Council hereby
declares that it would have passed this Ordinance, and each and
every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not
declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether
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any portion of the Ordinance would be subsequently declared
invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 8. The Mayor shall sign and the city Clerk shall
attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The city Clerk shall
cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper
within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become
effective upon adoption.
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
~~~
JO H LAWRENCE
Acting City Attorney
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Adopted and approved this 27th day of July, 1993.
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I hereby certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 1695(CCS)
was duly and regularly introduced at a meeting of the City
Council on the 27th day of July 1993; that the said Ordinance was
thereafter duly adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the
27th day of July 1993 by the following Council vote:
Ayes: Councilmembers: Abdo, Genser, Greenberg,
Holbrook, Olsen, Rosenstein,
Vazquez
Noes: Councilmembers: None
Abstain: Councilmembers: None
Absent: Councilmembers: None
ATTEST:
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