07-03-1972 - Laserfiche WebLink

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SERVICE STATION ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM - (Continued) they could not do any work outside of the work bays, and that they could not have any equipment outside of these bays to be used in the procedure of wheel alignment, or a rack to lift a car in the air, etc. He stated that there are many lube racks outside, with no cover, that have been there for a great many years; that, according to an arti'cle from "Fortune" Magazine, the major oil companies have complete control from the well to the gasoline pump; that he recognizes that the oil depletion allowances and taxes written into the whole make-up of service station operation are unjust and have created a bad situation; that if government is given control over the number of service stations that may be opened in a community, it will open the door for control of other business as well; that service stations in various parts of the city have complied with the ordinance controlling display of merchandise on public property; that it is almost impossible to enforce an ordinance which says you can't display merchandise outside of a building on your own property; and that if you are not going to enforce it to the letter, then it becomes a matter of by whose opinion and to what degree. He further stated that he is not opposed to the City having a public relations man talking to people and trying to encourage them voluntarily to cooperate, but he is opposed to telling them they must comply or complaints will be filed against them by the City. The Mayor stated that it was his understanding that the staff had tried to enforce the ordinance by encouraging cooperation and that they had obtained approximately 90% response. Councilman Villa pointed out that many controls are imposed by Council, such as number of dwelling units per acre, etc.; that there is no control over service stations; that they can go up any place without a variance; that because of the oil depletion allowance, companies buy the property, set up a station, it is closed, and someone else leases it; that there are at least an equal number of gas stations that are closed as are open; and that the sign ordinance applies to everybody, restrictions apply to everybody° Councilman Patterson suggested that there should be some type of Use Permit to control service stations. The Director of Planning stated that the Planning Commission had held hearings on a service station ordinance for some time, but that it had not been given consideration recently; that there is no ordinance that exclusively regulates service stations; that the City derives its authority to limit ac'tlvities under the "Operational Standards" section of the ordinance, which is applied to other businesses as well as service stations. Councilman Patterson stated that he believed a Use Permit procedure for service stations should be instituted; that oil companies should be required to assure the Council that they have no abandoned stations in the City before they could receive approval for a new one; that he would be opposed to control of minor violations such as changing a tire in the open; but that major repairs and display of signs should be controlled. CITY COUNCIL MINUTES -268- JULY 3, 1972