Council approves first reading of ordinance to regulate outdoor vehicle and equipment storage in industrial/commercial zones

The Pinellas Park City Council on March 13 passed on first reading Ordinance No. 20‑25‑13, which amends the Land Development Code to define and regulate outdoor storage of vehicles, construction equipment and similar equipment as a conditional use in additional industrial and commercial zoning districts.

Todd Byron, planning coordinator, presented the code amendment (LDC 092400014). Byron said the proposal adds a definition for outdoor storage and proposes that the use be added as a conditional use in the CH (heavy commercial) district and the M‑1 (light industrial) district (with a matching industrial limited future‑land‑use designation when required). He read the proposed definition into the record: in short, the use covers items other than vehicles, construction equipment, or similar equipment stored for a period exceeding 24 hours in an unoccupied space open to the sky or otherwise not fully enclosed. Byron said parking for the use would be calculated at 1 parking space per 10,000 square feet of storage plus 1 per 300 square feet of accessory office space, if applicable.

The proposed conditional‑use criteria included: a minimum separation of 300 linear feet from any residential zoning district (measured property line to property line); enclosure of storage areas by a solid wall or fence at least 8 feet high; and a 10‑foot‑wide landscape buffer along the primary access right‑of‑way in accordance with the city’s landscape code. Byron said the administrative process would allow staff approval unless an applicant requests a waiver of any of those standards, in which case the application would go before the Planning & Zoning Commission and return to council for final action.

Council members questioned whether height or stacking limits should be explicit for salvage and junkyard operations. Byron said the new use is aimed more at tow yards and storage where vehicles are operable, and that existing junkyard/salvage regulations (which can be grandfathered) would remain a separate matter; he said staff could work to add further junkyard‑specific standards if council wanted them.

The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the amendment on Feb. 6, 2025. Councilwoman Reid moved to pass Ordinance No. 20‑25‑13 on first reading; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Because this was a legislative first reading, the ordinance will return for further action consistent with the city’s ordinance schedule.