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Page Three THE ZONING REPORT I; in which they are located. All codes require them to be screened and landscaped from view within 50-150 ft from any property zoned resi- dential or containing a residential building. Otherwise, no special screening and fencing is required. These facilities cannot take away any required landscaping, fencing or screening of the principal use. But they might be required to be fenced or contained in a permanent framework to keep them from being overturned or bumped by vehicles. Drop boxes and RVMs are allowed to be locat- ed in existing parking lots of a principal host use so long as the minimum number of parking spaces required for the principal use is provid- ed for. The location of these facilities in park- ing lots and on sidewalks and walkways cannot interfere with pedestrian and vehicular circula- tion. Most codes do not require any parking spaces for drop boxes and RVMs. But many codes sug- gest and a few codes require that two parking spaces be provided at each site where one or more boxes are located for the temporary un- loading of recyclable materials into the boxes by patrons. The occupancy of parking spaces of the principal host use might pose problems in bu'ilt-up urban areas where principal uses do not now provide the required number of off- street spaces. We suggest,-in such areas, any deficit of spaces not be increased by any more than, say, 2 spaces for every 100 spaces pro- vided. This reduction in the number of required spaces could be approved by a minor admini- strative permit issued by the zoning office, the permit revoked when the facility is removed. Sign regulations are similar for recycling drop boxes and RVMs. Each facility is limited to 4 sq ft sign area. The signs cannot contain any advertising; they are limited to providing instructions on the use of the machines, identi- fying the owner or operator and his phone number and, in some codes, being integrally designed as part of the facility. Almost all codes do not count sign area and number of signs for these facilities against total sign re- quirements on the sit~ for the principal use. All codes require a regularly scheduled pick- up of their contents by the operator who must keep the grounds around them free of litter and debris. No outside storage is allowed. These facilities are self contained so that no power equipment for processing material is al- lowed except that RVMs can be automated in- ternally to crush metal cans or shred plastic bottles. Most codes place no limit on the number of these facilities at one location. Some codes suggest a limit of three machines and drop boxes per location. More than this number of machines at one location defines the group as a single bulk facility; allowed only in commer- cial and industrial zones. The construction of drop boxes and RVMs is regulated by zoning codes. They must be manu- factured or built and be kept in good repair as sturdy, waterproof, leakproof, rust resistant and clean containers and be painted or coated. They must have a lid or door to contain the contents from vandalism, to prevent entry by animals and vermin and to prevent the contents from being scattered by wind and weather. Zoning standards for recycling collection centers and processing plants Recycling collection centers are called large collection facilities by many codes, differenti- ated from drop boxes, which are called small collection facilities. Recycling collection cen- ters are defined as being larger than the maxi- mum area defined for small facilities or drop boxes, which ranges in codes from 150 to 400 sq ft, with a maximum height of 8-10 ft. This limitation applies to each location where ma- chines and boxes are sited. Some codes also limit recycling collection centers to a maximum area of 1000-8000 sq ft not including parking and loading areas. They are allowed as permanent structures in which no power equipment is allowed but minor proc- essing such as sorting, baling and palletizing of recyclable materials is allowed. These facilities can make payments and collect fees on deIiver- February 18, 1994 Issue I I I i I I I I I I I I I I I i