19.410.040 - Site location, operation and development standards.
The standards set forth in Article V, Base Zones and Related Use and Development Provisions, shall apply to vehicle fuel stations unless otherwise specified here.
A. The gross land area shall be not less than one acre.
B. The site shall be located on an arterial street, as identified on the General Plan—Master Plan of Roadways.
C. Except as setbacks along arterial streets may require additional setbacks, all buildings, structures or improvements shall meet the following setbacks:
1. Gasoline and hydrogen fuel pumps or dispensers and canopies shall be located no closer than 20 feet from any property line.
2. The setbacks specified in this subsection C may be used only for the following purposes:
a. Passage or temporary standing of automobiles
b. Landscaping
c. Light poles and standards
3. A minimum ten-foot landscaped setback shall be provided adjacent to any public street.
D. Buildings shall not exceed a height of 35 feet, except as otherwise provided in Article V.
E. When a vehicle fuel station adjoins any lot in a residential, mixed use, or Office (O) Zone, a minimum six-foot-high masonry wall shall be erected and maintained along such property line; provided, however, that such wall shall be only three feet high from the setback line of the adjoining property to the front property line.
F. Screening of pump islands and storage/production tanks for hydrogen fuel stations is encouraged by orienting on-site buildings closer to perimeter street frontages.
G. Screening of hydrogen fuel storage/production tanks shall be accomplished by orienting the tanks behind on-site buildings and within a solid masonry wall enclosure that blends with the building. If this cannot be accomplished, screening shall consist of landscaping and/or artwork, or alternative methods at the discretion of the approving authority. Use of chain-link or similar fencing materials is not permitted.
H. Not withstanding other provisions to the contrary, the following site operation standards shall apply to vehicle stations:
1. Operations outside the vehicle fuel station building shall be limited to the dispensing of gasoline, oil, air and water.
2. All storage and display of merchandise and supplies must be conducted within the service station building.
3. No vehicles shall be parked on the premises other than those of persons attending to business on the site, vehicles being serviced for customers, vehicles of employees, and other service vehicles used in the operation of the station. No vehicle may be parked on the premises and offered for sale.
4. Any tank or display provided for the incidental sale of propane or similar material shall be fully screened from view from any public right-of-way.
5. Hydrogen fuel pumps shall be oriented to provide adequate circulation throughout the site.
I. Hydrogen fuel stations shall comply with the following:
1. Safety and performance standards established by the Society of Automotive Engineers and accredited nationally recognized testing laboratories;
2. Any rules established by the state Air Resources Board, Energy Commission, or Department of Food and Agriculture regarding safety, reliability, weights, and measures; and
3. All other applicable codes and regulations.
(Ord. 7743, § 5, 2025; Ord. 7331 §62, 2016; Ord. 6966 §1, 2007)
