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Tooele Council weighs limits on sheds, containers in commercial lots after unpermitted placement
Summary
Staff brought proposed options to regulate accessory structures (sheds, shipping containers) in commercial and mixed-use zones after a coffee shop placed an unpermitted shed in a parking area; council asked for standards to protect parking, visibility and aesthetics while acknowledging some business storage needs.
Andrew Agard, Tooele City's community development director, briefed the council on March 19 about accessory structures appearing in commercial and mixed-use zones, including an unpermitted shed that recently appeared in front of a coffee shop and a shipping container placed in the parking area of a commercial property.
Nut graf: Currently Tooele's code allows accessory structures in many commercial and mixed-use zones without a land-use review when the structure is small enough to avoid a building permit; staff proposed options ranging from prohibiting accessory structures in front setbacks and parking lots to allowing them with specific standards or a conditional-use permit.
Agard said the city's commercial-use table permits small accessory structures in industrial, mixed-use and commercial zones and structures under 120 square feet do not require a building permit. That ' he said ' is how a shed "just popped up" in the coffee-shop parking area without prior review. He showed examples from across the city including shipping containers and retail displays that occupy parking stalls.
Council members raised several concerns: the displacement of required parking spaces, aesthetics along main thoroughfares, pedestrian and vehicular obstruction, and the lack of a clear process for evaluating whether a structure should be allowed on a site with shared parking. Several members favored creating objective standards or a conditional-use process so staff can evaluate parking impacts, required bollards or reflective markings, lighting and whether the structure blocks drive aisles.
Agard offered options for code language: prohibit accessory structures in front setbacks and parking lots; permit structures only in rear or side yards; require a conditional-use permit or building-permit/zoning review for larger containers; or adopt specific construction and safety standards (bollards, reflectors, lighting, proof of retained parking capacity). He also noted that many of the situations in the city are longstanding and may be nonconforming, and staff would treat new installations differently than legacy cases.
Council members suggested staff prepare draft ordinance language and standards that address commercial corridors and distinguish retail display (Home Depot-style outdoor displays) from storage sheds and containers. Several members emphasized an educational approach for business owners who may not know a permit is required and asked staff to consider enforcement sequence (education, notice, fines, abatement) and how parking obligations would be verified.
Ending: Staff was asked to draft proposed standards and return them for further council discussion; no action or vote was taken at the March 19 work session.
