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Green River planners debate tightening rules for storage containers, consider excluding semi‑trailers
Summary
Planning commissioners discussed amending municipal code 10‑18‑2 to clarify whether repurposed semi‑trailers count as cargo containers, considered requirements (removed from axles, painted, fully enclosed), and set a public‑hearing timeline ahead of a July city council decision.
The Green River Planning Commission spent a substantial portion of its meeting debating revisions to municipal code 10‑18‑2 that would clarify how “accessory storage containers” are defined and whether repurposed semi‑trailers should be permitted.
Commissioners opened the discussion by noting ambiguity in current language dividing “accessory storage buildings” from “cargo containers.” Speaker 1 said the code’s present wording left room for interpretation about where semi‑trailers belong and proposed clarifying whether an enclosed trailer taken off its axles should be treated as a cargo container.
Speaker 2 argued the ordinance was drafted with shipping containers in mind and recommended expressly excluding single semi‑trailers unless they meet cargo‑container structural standards. “Maybe it’s not written to the letter of what was intended,” Speaker 2 said, urging a clear line so the city is not forced to “let anything go.”
Several commissioners proposed three concrete criteria for allowing a repurposed trailer on a property: it be removed from its axles, painted a neutral or solid color, and be fully enclosed. Speaker 3 said he would like those three items added to the code text. Staff pointed out that the code already includes restrictions that cargo containers not be used for camping, cooking, or recreation and that the exterior be painted one solid color.
The panel also discussed operational limits, including a per‑acre cap (one container per acre or one within an acre), setbacks, and a clearer prohibition on placing such containers on street frontage — replacing the current phrase “out of sight from frontage streets” with language such as “not placed on frontage.”
No final change was adopted at the meeting; commissioners treated the item as discussion only. Staff said the commission will hold a public hearing on the amendment and that the City Council is expected to consider the proposal during its July meeting after public comment is heard and any revisions made.
If adopted, the changes would clarify enforcement criteria for existing and future repurposed storage units and could affect properties grandfathered under the 02/09/2021 ordinance, which staff noted allows pre‑existing containers to remain.
