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Councilman raises question about "bulk storage" and whether rezoning or lease language is needed
Summary
Councilman Larsen asked whether storage at specific industrial and commercial sites meets the city code's definition of 'bulk storage.' The commission discussed grandfathering, unilateral rezoning, and a proposal from the city attorney to use lease provisions rather than broad rezoning.
Councilman Larsen told the commission he is revising Industrial Park leases and encountered the city code's M-2 permitted-uses language, including "bulk storage" of certain hazardous materials. He named Soda Phosphate (zoned M-1) and Conrad Bischoff (zoned C-3) and asked, "what would be considered bulk storage, and do we need to rezone those areas so that we're in compliance with our code?"
Vice Chairman Lori Anne Lau observed that those businesses have been operating for a long time and are likely grandfathered. City Attorney Tom Smith advised that rezoning can be done unilaterally by the city but must account for existing conditions and legal constraints. Smith proposed that, rather than rezoning broad areas, the city could include specific bulk-storage provisions in individual leases to manage permitted uses.
Councilman Larsen agreed that defining bulk storage in leases might be more practical than rezoning entire areas. The commission did not adopt a formal policy at the meeting; members discussed next steps, including clarifying the code definition of "bulk storage" and reviewing the interplay between zoning designations and long-established operations.
