§ 18.12.2111. Outside Areas.

(a)

Outdoor Merchandise. Outdoor merchandise and outdoor merchandise displays and racks shall not be permitted between the front facade of the main building and the adjacent right-of-way.

(b)

Landscaping.  

(1)

Landscaping shall not obstruct views required by this chapter or provide a hiding place for drug sales or other illegal or illegitimate activity.

(2)

Tree canopies, shrubs and groundcover shall be planted and maintained to uphold a visual clearance zone between three and one-half feet (42 inches) and six and one-half feet (78 inches) above the ground.

(3)

Landscaping shall be planted and maintained to prevent hiding places on the premises.

(4)

Landscaping shall not interfere with natural surveillance of the exterior portion of the premises.

(5)

Landscaping shall be designed and installed to soften the appearance of buildings and parking lots.

(6)

Landscaping shall be designed and installed to aid in defining routes of pedestrian and vehicular ingress and egress.

(7)

Landscaping shall be designed and installed to provide shade for pedestrians and parked cars.

(c)

Fencing.  

(1)

Fences or other permanent buildings shall enclose the portions of the exterior premises not within line of sight of cashier stationed at the primary point of sale.

(2)

Fences shall be constructed of a durable material, shall be a maximum of 25 percent opaque, shall be a minimum of five feet high, and shall not be of a chain-link type.

(3)

Signs shall not be posted on fences.

(d)

Refuse. All refuse, except for temporary construction debris resulting from a project for which a valid building permit has been issued, shall be contained in refuse containers. Such containers shall comply with the following provisions:

(1)

They shall be designed and located to:

a.

Avoid entrapment or hiding areas conducive to loitering, public drinking, drug dealing, urination or defecation behind, at the side of, or within refuse containers.

b.

Avoid a place for people to sleep in or quickly dispose of alcohol containers being consumed illegally on the premises.

(2)

Except for refuse containers located within enclosures constructed as an integrated part of a commercial building, each refuse container shall be subject to one of the following conditions:

a.

Have a freestanding enclosure which is at most five feet in height, includes durable, self-closing and lockable doors or gates, is open at the bottom six to 12 inches except for necessary corner posts and is permanently attached to the ground; or

b.

Have a capacity of at least ten cubic yards, be shared by at least five separate but adjacent businesses and be operated pursuant to a city approved agreement; or

c.

Be located in an alley with an approved dumpster permit issued by the city.

(3)

They shall not be located in the front area of the building unless within enclosures approved by the city.

(4)

They shall be illuminated from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise at an average horizontal illuminance level of between two and four foot-candles, measured three feet above the surface.

(Ord. No. 5624, § 1, 10-27-04; Ord. No. 5680, § 1, 4-13-05; Ord. No. 6021, § 11, 5-14-08)