Planning commission schedules public hearing on zoning amendments for portable storage, greenhouses and chicken coops

The Plan Commission and ETZ reviewed proposed zoning-code amendments that would: (1) establish standards for portable outdoor storage containers (distinguishing temporary use and permanent detached‑accessory‑structure use in nonresidential districts), (2) clarify residential greenhouse rules, and (3) revise chicken coop standards (dimensions and setbacks).

Key provisions presented by staff include limiting permanent containers in nonresidential/mixed districts to what is functionally a detached accessory structure (requirements such as foundation/ pad, not blocking required parking, maximum of 15% of the principal building area, landscaped buffer adjacent to residential zoning or public streets) and allowing up to three containers in agricultural zoning without conditional use, with more only by CUP. For temporary residential needs (for example after a fire or disaster), staff proposed allowing longer-term temporary containers under emergency/temporary-use review. For chicken coops, staff proposed expanding the coop area per chicken from 3 to 4 square feet (with a maximum coop area of 30 sq ft) and a combined minimum run/enclosure area of 75 sq ft; coops could be as close as 10 feet to the homeowner’s dwelling and must remain 50 feet from neighboring dwellings in most cases. Staff also noted references to existing local code sections and state commercial code changes (e.g., IPC 2021) that would apply at permitting.

Commissioners discussed numerous enforcement and unintended-use concerns: whether agricultural parcels without principal active farm uses could become storage-business sites, whether permitting should be required so emergency services know container locations, and how to prevent rental storage operations on large vacant parcels. Several commissioners asked staff to clarify that the ag‑district allowances apply only to active farms or principal agricultural uses, to move some subsections for clarity, and to confirm humane‑officer references. After discussion, commissioners instructed staff to revise wording and directed staff to schedule a public hearing on the draft ordinance amendments in November 2025 (with the exceptions discussed). The motion to schedule the hearing passed for both the Planning Commission and the ETZ committee.