19.1 JUSTIFICATION — Belmont Zoning Code

(a) In order to promote and preserve the public health, safety, convenience, general welfare and general prosperity, it is the intent of this Ordinance that automobile service stations shall not create increased pedestrian and vehicular traffic hazards and shall not be detrimental to the ordinary maintenance, development and redevelopment of the surrounding area as reflected by the General Plan, Zoning Regulations or specific plans approved by the City.
(b) The purpose of this Section is to present locational criteria, developmental standards and operational standards to be used by the City Council, the City Planning Commission and the service stations under Conditional Use Permit procedures.

In addition, it is intended that these criteria and standards will be guidelines for the service station Conditional Use Permit applicant, the service station operator, communities throughout the City and the City as whole in order to achieve a balanced and effective integration of service stations with other land uses throughout the City.

19.2 CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT - Automobile service stations may be permitted in only the Neighborhood Commercial and Service Commercial Districts subject to the requirement of a Conditional Use Permit for each development.[2]
19.3 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS
- (a) Operations and Activities Expressly Prohibited:
  - 1. Major automobile repairs, except where the service station is located in a C-3, C-4 or M Zone and when permitted by regulations under Section 5.4.3(a)(1) of Ordinance 360 and where the major repairs are to be performed in a building which is separate to the area requirements for, the service station proper. A separate use permit for the major repair use shall be required unless it is included as part of the use permit for the service station.
  - 1. Exterior sales display and storage areas shall be considered as areas of principal business activity, and therefore, they shall be required to be located and designed in a manner which will not detract from the pleasing appearance of the enterprise.
  - 1. Outdoor displays of products such as tires, excepting if such products are in an enclosed storage rack or structure or on a portable rack. Service stations are to be limited to one such storage rack or structure or portable rack six feet in height, eight feet in length, four feet in depth. Other displays may only be made through obtaining a Special Events permit.

1 Added by Ord. 474, 7/28/71

2 Amended by Ord. 2018-1131, §38, 4/24/2018

City of Belmont Zoning Ordinance 19-1

1. Soft drinks, candy, cigarettes sold via dispensers are prohibited as an activity outside the building located on the service station site except if in an enclosed patio type area.
(b) Rental Vehicles - The lease or rental of utility trailers, rental trucks and automobiles shall be permitted as an adjunct to the service station per the development standards contained herein.

A separate Use Permit for the trailer rental use is required unless included as part of the Use Permit for the station. Utility trailers, trucks and rental automobiles not exceeding an aggregate of six in number may be stored for rent on service station premises provided they are screened from view and occupy an area which is in addition to area requirements of this Section. Trailers shall be located so as not to interfere with normal on-site circulation when attaching or detaching from vehicles.

(c) Hours of Operation - Service stations located in neighborhood commercial centers and sites adjoining residentially zoned or residentially developed property shall not commence operations before 6:00 A.M. and shall close down operations not later than 11:00 P.M. Signs on such sites should not be lighted between the hours of 11:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M.
(d) Gasoline Loading into Tanks - No gasoline should be loaded into any storage tank from any tank truck or tank trailer except through a permanent submerged fill pipe, unless the tank is equipped with a vapor loss control device or is a pressure tank.
(e) Noise - Noise shall be muffled so as not to become objectionable due to intermittence, beat frequency, or shrillness and the decibel level measured at property lines shall not exceed street background noise normally occurring at location site.