Tuolumne County Municipal Code § 17.90.080 Self-Storage Facilities

STORAGE Sections:

• 17.90.010 Purpose.
• 17.90.020 Applicability.
• 17.90.030 Permit Required.
• 17.90.040 Development and Performance Standards - General.
• 17.90.050 Development and Performance Standards - Commercial.
• 17.90.060 Development and Performance Standards – Industrial Districts.
• 17.90.070 Storage Containers.
• 17.90.080 Self-Storage Facilities.
• 17.90.090 Log Decks.

Chapter is to establish standards for the location, site planning, development, and operations of certain land uses that are allowed by Article 2, Zoning Districts and Allowable Land Uses, within individual or multiple districts, and for activities that require special standards to minimize the impacts of these uses and activities on surrounding properties and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their occupants and of the general public.

contained in this Chapter shall apply to all storage uses.

A. All storage uses shall be subject to approval of the specified permit as detailed in the use tables in Article 2. B. All outdoor storage uses being added to a previously approved primary use shall require an amendment to the previously approved permit issued for the primary use (if applicable) and shall be processed in accordance with Chapter 17.100 (Permits and Procedures). In the absence of a previously approved permit for the primary use, a Site Development Permit shall be required in accordance with Chapter 17.100 (Permits and Procedures).

Standards - General.
A. Screening of outdoor storage shall be provided and maintained by the use of solid walls, wood fencing or chain link fencing with slats, or drought-tolerant vegetation. If drought-tolerant vegetation is used to accomplish screening, the vegetation shall:
1. Provide adequate screening within one year of planting.
2. Be maintained to provide continual screening of any outdoor storage.
3. Be watered with an automatic watering system equipped with a timer.
B. If slats are used to accomplish screening, such materials shall be of uniform design and color and shall be maintained in good repair at all times.
C. All materials, supplies, equipment, and operating trucks shall be stored in an enclosed building or area screened from public view.
D. All storage area screening shall be architecturally integrated with surrounding buildings by the use of concrete, masonry, or other similar materials not to exceed a height of 8 feet from the highest finished grade in nonindustrial land uses and a height of 10 feet from the highest finished grade in industrial land uses.

E. Storage of materials or equipment shall not exceed screen height within 50 feet of street-fronting screens in all zoning districts except the M-1 and M-2 Districts.
F. The Director of Community Development may waive screening requirements subject to approval of a Use Permit.

Standards - Commercial. The following standard applies to properties in the commercial zoning districts.
A. Outdoor storage shall be screened so that it is not visible from the public right-of- way.

Standards - Industrial Districts. The following standards apply to properties in the industrial zoning districts.
A. Outdoor storage shall be screened so that it is not visible from any roadway unless infeasible due to topography. B. Storage related to outdoor manufacturing uses or activities shall provide both physical screening and time limitations on when stored materials may be moved to ensure adequate noise buffering for surrounding land uses and the public right- of-way. Moving of stored materials for outdoor manufacturing uses may occur between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

containers are prohibited in all zoning districts unless they conform to the following requirements. A. In all zoning districts: 1. Any storage container, regardless of size, shall conform to all building setbacks. 2. A building permit or waiver shall be secured for any storage container over 200 square feet. B. In any MU, R or RE zoning district: 1. Only one storage container, not exceeding 360 square feet in size, is allowed on any parcel. 2. Any storage container shall be placed behind or to the side of the principal building.
3. Storage containers visible to a neighboring home or roadway shall be screened with fencing or landscaping. C. In any C, M, BP, P, or K Zoning District: 1. A landscaping plan and/or screening plan shall be reviewed and approved by the Community Development Department prior to the installation of any storage container. 2. No more than two storage containers are allowed on any parcel. D. In any A zoning district: 1. All storage containers must be used primarily for agricultural purposes. 2. Storage containers visible to a neighboring home or roadway shall be screened with fencing or landscaping. E. Existing use of any storage container in numbers greater than permitted herein is subject to the provisions of Chapter 17.32 of this title. Any change in use or ownership to the parcel requires conformance with this section (Ord. 3471 § 16, 2024).

facilities shall be located, developed, and operated in compliance with the following standards: A. Business Activity. All self-storage facilities shall be limited to inactive items such as furniture and files. No retail, repair, or other commercial use shall be conducted out of the individual rental storage units.
B. No Hazardous Materials Storage. No storage of hazardous materials is permitted. C. Notice to Tenants. As part of the rental process, the facility manager shall inform all tenants of conditions restricting storage of hazardous materials and limitation on the use of the storage units. These restrictions shall be included in rental contracts and posted at a conspicuous location within the front of each rental unit.

D. Open Storage. Open storage, outside an enclosed building, shall be limited to vehicles and trailers and screened from public view by building façades or solid fences. E. Exterior Wall Treatments and Design. Exterior walls visible from a public street or Residential District shall be constructed of decorative block, concrete panel, stucco, or similar material. These walls shall include architectural relief through articulation, trim, change in color at the base, variations in height, the use of architectural “caps,” attractive posts, or similar measures. Gates shall be decorative iron or similar material. F. Screening. Where screening walls are required or proposed, they shall be constructed of decorative block, concrete panel, stucco, or similar material. The walls shall include architectural relief through variations in height, the use of architectural “caps,” attractive posts, or similar measures. All gates shall be decorative iron or similar material.
G. Fencing. A minimum six-foot-high security fence shall be provided around the perimeter of the development at locations where the solid façades of the storage structures do not provide a perimeter barrier. The maximum fence height shall be eight feet.

A. Log deck storage shall be permitted for a period of up to 18 months. A Conditional Use Permit shall be required for log storage exceeding 18 months. B. A log deck shall equal 4,000 board feet or more of wood. Thickness x Width x Length / 12 = Board Feet. C. The maximum size of any log deck shall be 300 feet long, 50 feet wide, and 20 feet high. D. The minimum separation distance between log decks shall be 100 feet. Log decks shall not be stored closer than 100 feet to any property boundary or structure. E. The storage shall comply with all requirements of the 2016 California Fire Code Section 2808 for Log Storage, processing of wood chips, hogged material, fines, compost and raw product associated with yard waste and recycling facilities, or as amended. (CFC 2808) F. Roads shall be provided within 150 feet of all log decks. The roads shall be constructed to have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet and an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 15 feet. The roads shall be designed and maintained to support the imposed loads of fire apparatus and shall be provided with a surface so as to provide all-weather driving capabilities. G. For dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet in length, an area for turning fire apparatus around shall be provided, as approved by Tuolumne County Fire Prevention. H. Storage of log decks shall not be permitted within 50 feet of an intermittent stream or waterway or within 75 feet of a perennial stream or waterway. I. A silt fence or other similar device shall be required if any water way or riparian area is located within 100 feet of the log storage. J. Log deck storage shall not be permitted within areas with known cultural resources as identified by the Tuolumne County Geographical Information System Cultural Resource Database.
K. Adequate landscaping or screening shall be provided along public roadways.