Findlay committee advances draft limits on donation bins, moves to make gas stations and small-box retailers conditional uses

The Findlay City Planning & Zoning Committee reviewed draft zoning changes May 8 that would restrict donation collection bins, require annual permits and fees, and add tighter review for several commercial uses including fueling stations, oil-change facilities, small-box retailers and self-storage facilities.

The committee’s proposal would limit donation bins to a maximum size of 6 feet wide by 6 feet deep by 6 feet tall, allow them only in C-2 or I-1 zoning districts (with a written exemption for certain nonprofit or religious organizations on property they own), and require a site host to share responsibility for compliance, staff planner Matt Cardone said. "The site host of the property upon which the donation bin is located shall share joint responsibility for compliance with all conditions set forth in this chapter with the entity which owns or is in custody of the donation bin," Cardone said.

The changes stem from repeated complaints about unattended or deteriorating bins, particularly along commercial corridors such as Tiffin Avenue, and from the committee’s inventory of existing bins. Cardone said he reviewed ordinances from 11 other municipalities and recommended a uniform 6-by-6-by-6 size limit. "I opted for the size restriction of 6 feet wide, 6 feet deep, and 6 feet tall," he said.

Why it matters: committee members said unrestricted or poorly maintained donation bins create visual blight, raise maintenance and nuisance complaints, and shift enforcement burdens to city…