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ZOA No. 2021-01 – Light Processing (Recycling) Facilities Urgency Ordinance
<br />May 4, 2021
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<br />Recycling uses range from smaller drop-off (collection) facilities and reverse vending
<br />machines at the various commercial centers throughout Santa Ana, to processing
<br />facilities where recyclable materials are bailed, compacted, flattened, grinded and
<br />crushed, sorted, shredded, cleaned, and remanufactured. These more complex
<br />operations are defined as processing facilities, further broken down into two categories:
<br />Light and Heavy, and are permitted in Santa Ana’s Industrial (M-1 and M-2) zoning
<br />districts.
<br />Processing facilities are defined in SAMC Section 41-1250 (d). As defined in the SAMC,
<br />a processing facility is a building or enclosed space used for the collection and processing
<br />of recyclable materials. Processing includes the preparation of material for efficient
<br />shipment, or to an end-user's specifications, by such means as baling, briquetting,
<br />compacting, flattening, grinding, crushing, mechanical sorting, shredding, cleaning, and
<br />remanufacturing. Pursuant to the SAMC, a light processing facility occupies an area of
<br />under forty-five thousand (45,000) square feet of gross collection, processing and storage
<br />area and has up to an average of two (2) outboard truck shipments per day. Light
<br />processing facilities are limited to baling, briquetting, crushing, compacting, grinding,
<br />shredding and sorting of source-separated recyclable materials and repairing of reusable
<br />materials sufficient to quality as a certified processing facility. Light processing facilities
<br />may not shred, compact, or bale ferrous metals other than food and beverage containers.
<br />Further, the SAMC states that a heavy processing facility is any processing facility other
<br />than a light processing facility. As presently written, the SAMC requires a CUP for heavy
<br />processing facilities, which are only permitted in the Heavy Industrial (M-2) zoning district.
<br />Section 41-1255 of the SAMC contains operational standards for all processing facilities,
<br />whether light or heavy, one of which is that such facilities may not abut a property zoned
<br />or used for residential purpose. However, due to the City’s age, development patterns,
<br />and past zoning practices, there exists multiple areas of the City where Industrial (M-1
<br />and M-2) zoning districts directly abut residentially-zoned or used properties, including in
<br />the Delhi, Logan, Cornerstone Village, Lacy, French Park, Artesia Pilar, Casa Bonita, and
<br />other residential properties near Harbor Mixed-Use Transit Corridor Specific Plan (SP-2),
<br />Santa Anita, and Mar-Les neighborhoods that are not part of an established neighborhood
<br />association. In these areas and under the current SAMC regulations, a light processing
<br />facility may operate just one property away from a residential land use, without any CUP
<br />requirement. The absence of a CUP requirement does not allow the City to evaluate each
<br />submitted application for consistency with surrounding properties and neighborhoods, as
<br />well as the General Plan, to therefore recommend approval or denial of such applications
<br />subject to a discretionary review process. Moreover, the current by-right review prevents
<br />the Planning Commission and City Council from imposing conditions of approval to
<br />ensure compatible and unimpactful operations of such facilities with surrounding
<br />properties and neighborhoods.
<br />Operations typical of light processing facilities, which include preparation of material for
<br />efficient shipment, or to an end-user's specifications, by such means as baling,
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