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Council debates new rules for metal storage containers — screening and color requirements eyed
Summary
City staff proposed amendments to Safford's municipal code to regulate metal storage containers (shipping containers) — requiring painting/maintenance to match structures or pre-approved earth tones, screening from public view, and removal of some size limits in commercial zones. Council debated residential exceptions, color palettes, setback rationales and whether to wait for a general plan update.
City staff presented proposed amendments to Safford Municipal Code section 17.12.250 to regulate metal storage containers, and council spent the work session weighing aesthetic controls, fire and safety considerations and administrative impacts.
The staff-recommended changes would require containers to be painted and maintained to match the primary structure or a pre-approved earth-tone palette, permit metal containers in commercial and industrial zones without a fixed size limit (subject to building permits, setbacks and screening), and require screening from public view with landscaping, an opaque wall or a fence. In residential areas staff suggested keeping limits or allowing a choice of matching the primary structure or selecting from a pre-approved color range.
Council members examined several tradeoffs: whether a pre-approved color list would become onerous for residents, whether screening requirements should apply differently by zone, and whether square-foot limits rather than container-length restrictions would be simpler to administer. Staff noted the primary reasons for setbacks are fire separation and aesthetics, and reminded council that the update is intended to reduce the need for variances when adequate screening is provided.
Why it matters: The proposed code changes affect property owners, businesses and contractors who use shipping containers for storage and may remove a permitting hurdle for commercial users while aiming to protect neighborhood appearance. Council flagged the city's forthcoming general-plan update as a venue for more comprehensive zoning changes.
What’s next: Council treated the item as a work session and did not adopt ordinance language; staff will return with revised language and options (including an earth-tone palette and suggested square-foot limits for residential zones) and may defer final action until general-plan work is further advanced.
