Ordinance - 1759•
ORDINANCE NO: 1759
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING THE
WEST COVINA MUNICIPAL CODE, CHAPTER 26,
ARTICLE XI, BY AMENDING SECTION 26-597, AND
ARTICLE XII, BY ADDING DIVISION 14, AS THEY
RELATE TO RECYCLING REDEMPTION AND PROCESSING
CENTERS. (Amendment No. 212)
The City Council of the City of West Covina, California,
does ordain as follows:
DIVISION 14. RECYCLING REDEMPTION AND PROCESSING CENTERS
Section 26-685.90. Purpose
The purpose of this division'is to serve the need of the public for
convenient recycling redemption and processing facilities, while
guaranteeing the adequacy of the site for the use and for the
protection of the surrounding properties through review and
consideration of physical treatment and compatibility with surrounding
properties.
DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO THIS DIVISION
Section 26-685.91. Recyclable Material
Recyclable material is reusable material including, but not limited
to, metals, glass, plastic and paper, which are intended for reuse,
remanufacture, or reconstitution for the purpose of using the altered
form. Recyclable material does not include refuse or hazardous
materials. Recyclable material may include used motor oil collected
and transported in accordance with Section 52250.11 and 25143.2(b)(4)
of the California Health and Safety Code.
Section 26-685.92. Recycling Facility
A recycling facility is a center for the collection and/or processing
of recyclable materials. A certified recycling facility or certified
processor means a recycling facility certified by the California
Department of Conservation as meeting the requirements of the
California Beverage Container and Litter Reduction Act of 1986. A
recycling facility does not include storage containers or processing
activity located on the premises of a residential, commercial, or
manufacturing use and is used solely for the recycling of material
generated by that residential property, business or manufacturer.
Recycling facilities may include the following:
1. A collection facility is a center for the acceptance by
donation, redemption, or purchase of recyclable materials from
the public. Such a facility does not use power -driven
processing equipment except as indicated in Section 26-685.96.
Collection facilities may include the following:
0
a. Reverse vending machine(s);
Page 2
r�
b.
c.
Small collection facilities which occupy an area of not
more than 500 square feet, and may include:
i. A mobile unit;
ii. Bulk reverse vending machines or a grouping of
reverse vending machines occupying more than 50
square feet;
iii Kiosk type units which may include permanent
structures;
iv. Unattended containers placed for the donation of
recyclable materials.
Large collection facilities which may occupy an area of
more than 500 square feet and may include permanent
structures.
2. A processing facility is a building of enclosed space used for
the collection and processing of recyclable materials.
Processing means the preparation of material for efficient
shipment, or to end -user's specifications, by such means as
baling, briquetting, compacting, flattening, grinding, crushing,
mechanical sorting, shredding, cleaning, and remanufacturing.
Processing facilities include the following:
a. A light processing facility occupies an area of under
45,000 square feet of gross collection, processing and
storage area, and has up to an average of two (2) outbound
truck shipments per day. Light processing facilities are
limited to baling, briquetting, crushing, compacting,
grinding, shredding, and sorting of source -separated
recyclable materials, and repairing of reusable materials
sufficient to qualify as a certified processing facility.
A light processing facility shall not shred, compact or
bale ferrous metals other than food and beverage
containers.
b. A heavy processing facility is any processing facility
other than a light processing facility.
Section 26-685.93. Reverse Vending Machine(s).
A reverse vending machine is an automated mechanical device which
accepts at least one or more types of empty beverage containers
including, but not limited to, aluminum cans, glass and plastic
bottles, and issues a cash refund or a redeemable credit slip with a
value not less than the container's redemption value as determined by
the State. A reverse vending maching may sort and process containers
mechanically, provided that the entire process is enclosed within the
machine. (In order to accept and temporarily store all three
container types in a proportion commensurate with their relative
redemption rates, and to meet the requirements of certification as a
recycling facility, multiple grouping of reverse vending machines may
be necessary.)
A bulk reverse vending machine is a reverse vending machine that is
• larger than 50 square feet, is designed to accept more than one
container at a time, and will pay by weight instead of by container.
Paqe 3
C�
Section 26-685.94. Mobile Recycling Unit.
A mobile recycling unit means an automobile, truck, trailer or van,
licensed by the Department of Motor Vehicles which is used for the
collection of recyclable materials. A mobile recycling unit also
means the bins, boxes or containers transported by trucks, vans or
trailers, and used for the collection of recyclable materials.
Section 26-685.95. Permits Required.
No person or commercial business shall permit the placement,
construction, or operation of any recycling facility without first
obtaining a permit pursuant to the provisions set forth in the
following table:
Type of Facility
Reverse Vending
Machine
Small Collection
Large Collection
Light Processing
Heavy Processing
Zones Permitted
All Commercial
All Industrial
All Commercial
All Industrial
M-1, PAR
Permit Required
Planning Director's
Modification (or minor
revision to site plan
approved by the
Planning Director
Unclassified Use
Permit
Unclassified Use
Permit
In addition to the permits described in the table, a reverse vending
machine or a small collection facility may also be allowed in special
zones which allow uses permitted in commercial or industrial zones
with an unclassified use permit.
Section 26-685.96. Development Standards.
Those recycling facilities permitted with a Planning Director's
Modification shall meet all of the applicable criteria and standards
listed. Those facilities permitted with an unclassified use permit
shall meet the applicable criteria and standards, provided that the
Planning Commission may relax such standards or impose stricter
standards as an exercise of discretion upon a finding that such
modifications are reasonably necessary to implement the general intent
of this section and of the General Plan.
The criteria and standards for recycling facilities are as follows:
1. Reverse vending machines located
of a commercial structure do not
Reverse vending machines do not
spaces for recycling customers,
commercial and industrial zones
Modification, provided that they
standards:
within or under the roof line
require discretionary permits.
require additional parking
and may be permitted in all
with a Planning Director's
comply with the following
a. Shall be established in conjunction with a commercial use
or community service facility which is in compliance with
the zoning, building, and fire codes of the City of West
Covina.
Page 4
b. Shall be located within 30 feet of the entrance to the
commercial structure, and shall not obstruct pedestrian,
handicapped or vehicular circulation;
C. Shall not occupy parking spaces required by the primary
use;
• d. Shall occupy no more than 50 square feet of floor space
per installation, including any protective enclosure, and
shall be not more than eight (8) feet in height;
e. Shall be constructed and maintained with durable
waterproof material;
f. Shall be clearly marked to identify the type of material
to be deposited, operating instructions and the identity
and phone number of the operator or responsible person to
call if the machine is inoperative.
g. Shall be maintained in a clean, vermin, and litter -free
condition on a daily basis;
h. Operating hours shall be at least the operating hours of
the host use;
i. Shall be illuminated to ensure comfortable and safe
operation if operating hours are between dusk and dawn.
j. Shall post a 12 foot by 12 foot sign which states the
redemptive value offered.
2. Small collection facilities may be sited in commercial and
industrial zones with an unclasified use permit provided
they comply with the following conditions:
a. Shall be established in conjunction with an existing
commercial use or community service facility which is in
compliance with the zoning, building, and fire codes of
the City of West Covina.
b. Shall be no larger than 500 square feet, and occupy no
more than five parking spaces.
C. Shall be set back at least fifty (50) feet from an
right-of-way line, unless deemed adequately screened by
the Planning Commission, and shall not obstruct pedestrian
or vehicular circulation;
d. Shall accept only glass, metals, plastic containers, and
papers;
e. Shall use no power -driven processing equipment except for
reverse vending machines:
f. Shall use containers that are constructed and maintained
with durable waterproof and rustproof material, covered
when site is not attended, secured from unauthorized entry
or removal of material, and shall be of a capacity
sufficient to accommodate materials collected and
collection schedule;
• g. Shall store all recyclable material in containers or in
the mobile unit vehicle, and shall not leave materials
outside of containers when attendant is not present;
Page 5
•
•
h. Shall be maintained free of vermin, litter and any other
undesirable materials, and mobile facilities, at which
truck or containers are removed at the end of each
collection day, the area surrounding the facility shall be
swept at the end of each collection day;
i. Shall not exceed noise levels of 60 dBA as measured at the
property line of residentially zoned or occupied property;
otherwise, noise levels shall not exceed 70 dBA.
j. Attended facilities located within 100 feet of a property
zoned or occupied for residential use shall operate only
during the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.;
k. Containers for the 24-hour donation of materials shall be
at least 75 feet from any property zoned or occupied for
residential use, unless there is a recognized service
corridor and acoustical shielding between the containers
and the residential use;
1. Containers shall be clearly marked to identify the type of
material which may be deposited; the facility shall be
clearly marked to identify the name and telephone number
of the facility operator and the hours of operation, and
display a notice stating that no material shall be left
outside the recycling enclosure of containers;
M. The facility shall not impair the landscaping required for
any concurrent use;
n. No additional parking spaces will be required for
customers of a small collection facility located at the
established parking lot of a host use. One space will be
provided for the attendant, if needed;
o. Mobile recycling units shall have an area clearly marked
to prohibit other vehicular parking during hours when the
mobile unit is scheduled to be present;
p. Occupation of parking spaces by the facility and by the
attendant may not reduce available parking spaces below
the minimum number required for the primary host use
unless all of the following conditions exist:
i. The facility is located in a convenience zone or a
potential convenience zone as designated by the
California Department of Conservation;
ii. A parking study shows that existing parking capacity
is not already fully utilized during the time the
recycling facility will be on the site.
A reduction in available parking spaces in an established
parking facility may then be allowed as follows:
Number of Available
Parking Spaces
0-25
26-35
36-49
50-99
100-299
300 +
Maximum Reduction
0
1
2
3
5
Page 6
q. If the permit expires without renewal, the collection
facility shall be removed from the site on the day
following permit expiration.
r. All permits shall be reviewed and reapproved once every
twelve (12) months for the first three (3) years, and once
every three (3) years thereafter.
S. The facility shall not be aesthetically displeasing. If
• the Planning Commission finds the facility to exhibit a
negative visual exposure, screening from public
right-of-ways may be required, or it may have to be
removed.
t. Shall post a 12 foot by 12 foot sign which states the
redemptive value offered.
3. A large collection facility is one that is larger than 500
square feet, or is on a separate property not appurtenant to a
host use, and which has a permanent building. A large
collection facility is permitted in industrial zones with an
unclassified use permit, provided the facility meets the
following standards:
a. Facility does not abut a property zoned or planned for
residential use;
b.- Facility will be screened from the public right-of-way by
operating in an enclosed building or within an area
enclosed by a block wall at least six (6) feet in height
with landscaping;
C. Setbacks and landscape requirements shall be those
provided for the zoning district in which the facility is
located;
d. All exterior storage of material shall be in sturdy
containers which are covered, secured, and maintained in
good condition. Storage containers for flammable material
shall be constructed of non-flammable material. Oil
storage must be in containers approved by the Fire
Department and the State Department of Health Services.
No storage, excluding truck trailers and overseas
containers shall be visible above the height of the
fencing from off -site;
e. Site shall be maintained free of vermin, litter, and any
other undesirable materials and will be cleansed of loose
debris on a daily basis;
f. Space will be provided on site for six (6) vehicles or the
anticipated peak customer load, whichever is higher, to
circulate and to deposit recyclable materials, except
where the Planning Commission determines that allowing
overflow traffic above six (6) vehicles is compatible with
surrounding businesses and public safety;
g. One (1) parking space will be provided for each commercial
vehicle operated by the recycling facility. Parking
requirements will be as provided for in the zone;
h. Noise levels shall not exceed 60 dBA as measured at the
property line of residentially zoned property, or
• otherwise shall not exceed 70 dBA.
i. If the facility is located within 500 feet of property
zoned, planned, or occupied for residential use, it shall
not be in operation between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.;
Page 7
j. Any containers provided for after-hours donation of
recyclable materials shall be at least 50 feet from any
property zoned or occupied for residential use, shall be
of sturdy, rustproof construction, shall have sufficient
capacity to accommodate materials collected, and shall be
secure from unauthorized entry or removal of materials;
• k. Donation areas will be kept free of litter and any other
undesirable material; the containers will be clearly
marked to identify the type of material that may be
deposited; the facility shall display a notice stating
that no material shall be left outside the recycling
containers;
1. The facility will be clearly marked with the name and
phone number of the facility operator and the hours of
operation;
M. Power -driven processing, including aluminum foil and can
compacting, baling, plastic shredding, or other light
processing activities necessary for efficient temporary
storage and shipment of material, may be' approved through
the unclassified use permit process if noise standards and
other conditions are met.
n. Shall post a 12 foot by 12 foot sign which states the
redemptive value offered.
4. Light processing facilities and large processing facilities are
permitted in M-1 and PAR zones with an unclassified use permit.
A processor shall meet the following conditions:
a. The facility shall not abut a property zoned or planned
for residential use;
b: In permitted zones, processors will operate in a wholly
enclosed building, except for incidental storage, and
within an area enclosed on all sides by a decorative block
wall not less than eight (8) feet in height and landscaped
on all street frontages;
C. Power -driven processing shall be permitted, provided all
noise level requirements are met. Light processing
facilities are limited to baling, briquetting, crushing,
compacting, grinding, shredding, and sorting of
source -separated recyclable materials;
d. A light processing facility shall be no larger than 45,000
square feet, and shall have no more than an average of two
(2) outbound truck shipments of material per day; it may
not shred, compact or bale ferrous metals other than food
and beverage containers;
e. A processing facility may accept used motor oil for
recycling from the generator in accordance with Section
25250.11 of the California Health and Safety Code;
f. Setbacks and landscaping requirements shall be those
provided for the zoning district in which the facility is
located;
•
Page 8
g. All exterior storage of material shall be in sturdy
containers or enclosures which are covered, secured, and
maintained in good condition, or materials can be baled or
palletized. Storage containers for flammable material
shall be constructed of non-flammable material. Oil
storage must be in containers approved by the West Covina
Fire Department and the State Department of Health
Services. No storage, excluding truck trailers and
• overseas containers, shall be visible above the height of
the wall;
h. Site shall be maintained free of vermin, litter, and any
other undesirable materials, and will be cleaned of loose
debris on a daily basis and will be secured from
unauthorized entry and removel of materials when
attendants are not present;
i. Parking shall be provided as indicated by the zone in
which the facility is located, providing that there are no
fewer than ten (10) customer spaces, plus one (1) parking
space for each commercial vehicle operated by the
processing center;
j. Noise levels shall not exceed 60 dBA as measured at the
property line of residentially zoned or occupied property,
or otherwise shall not exceed 70 dBA;
k. If the facility is located within 500 feet of property
zoned or planned for residential use, it shall not be in
operation between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The facility
shall be administered by on -site personnel during the
hours the facility is open;
1. Any containers provided for after-hours donation of
recyclable materials shall be at least 100 feet from any
property zoned or occupied for residential use; they shall
be made of sturdy, rustproof construction; they shall have
sufficient capacity to accommodate materials collected,
and they shall be secure from unauthorized entry or
removal of materials;
M. Donation areas shall be kept free of litter and any other
undesirable material. The containers shall be clearly
marked to identify the type of material that may be
deposited. The facility shall display a notice stating
the no material shall be left outside the recycling
containers;
n. The facility shall be clearly marked with the name and
phone number of the facility operator and the hours of
operation;
o. No dust, fumes, smoke, vibration or odor above ambient
level may be detectable on neighboring properties.
p. Shall post a 12 foot by 12 foot sign which states the
redemptive value offered.
Section 26-685.97. Signage
1. Reverse vending machines shall have a sign area of a maximum of
two (2) square feet per machine, exclusive of operating
• instructions.
2. Small collection facilities may have signage provided as
follows:
Page 9
a. Identification signs with a maximum of sixteen (16) square
feet, in addition to informational signs required by
Section 26-685.66.(b)-(12);
b:- The signs must be consistent with the architectural style
and character of the location;
is C. Directional signs, bearing no advertising message, may be
installed on the site with the approval of the Planning
Director,if deemed to be necessary to facilitate traffic
circulation, or if the facility is not visible from the
public right-of-way.
3. Large collection facilities and processing facilities shall have
signs as provided for the zone in which they are located.
Amend Section 26-597 by adding "Recycling Redemption and Processing
Centers" to read as follows:
Recycling redemp-
tion and process-
ing centers (see
Article XII,
Division 14)
M
M
M
M
P
R
R
F
F
F
F
0
N
C
R
S
C
C
M
I
A
P
0
A
l
8
15
20
45
P
C
C
C
C
2
3
1
P
R
B
S
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
PASSED AND APPROVED this 23rd day of November , 1987.
ATTEST:
0
City Clerk
'wall w4irm,
• ' Page 10
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS
CITY OF WEST COVINA )
I, Helene M. Mooney, City Clerk of the City of West Covina, do here-
by certify that the foregoing Ordinance No. 1759 was regularly in-
troduced and placed upon its first reading at a regular meeting of
the City Council on the 9th day of November , 1987. That,
thereafter, said Ordinance was duly adopted and passed at a regular
meeting of the City Council on the 23rd day of Nov mbpr . 1987,
by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Councilmember: Tennant, Bacon, Planners, Chappell
NOES: Councilmember; None
ABSENT: Councilmember: Shearer
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
City Attorney
•
City Clerk
CERTIFICATION
I, JANET BERRY, Deputy City Clerk of the City of West Covina, State
of California, do hereby certify that a true and accurate copy of
Ordinance No. / 7S was published, pursuant to law, in the San
Gabriel Valley Tribune, a newspaper of general circulation published
and circulated in the City of West Covina.
Janet Berry, City Clerk
City of West Covina, Ca ornia
DATED: S •T �'