SAFETY? JACKSON COUNCIL TO ROLLBACK RESTRICTION ON CONSTRUCTION CONTAINERS BEING PLACED IN ROADWAYS

Back in May 2022, the Jackson Township Council enacted regulations regarding placement of dumpsters / construction containers used for construction waste or debris.

The Council is now set to rollback some of these regulations.

Back in May 2022, the Council unanimously adopted ordinance 16-22, which defines construction containers as a trailer, portable temporary container or portable container with or without axles and wheels used for storage of construction waste and/or debris.

The law required anyone who does construction on a property to submit an application to the Zoning Officer for the placement of the dumpster. The permit cost $25 and it will be issued for a 90 day limit. Up to 2 dumpsters may be placed at any residential property at one time. Commercial properties are permitted to have additional dumpsters.

The application must include a current survey of the property.

Containers were prohibited from being placed in the streets, public right-of-way, or on unimproved surfaces in the front yard of a property and may only be placed upon driveways, side yards and rear yards so long as such locations meet the requirements of the Township’s setback requirements. Any location containing a Construction Container must be paved, off-street at the farthest accessible point from the street and all must comply with the applicable minimum yard accessory structure setback requirements for any accessory structures in the zone in which the Construction Container is located.

If the property does not have a driveway or cannot meet the setback standards, the Zoning Officer may, as part of the permit approval process, approve the placement of a container in the front yard.  If such Construction Container is permitted to be placed in the front yard, same must be kept at the farthest accessible point from the street and the surrounding area must be maintained.

Construction Containers and the area surrounding a Construction Container shall be subject to all Township property maintenance standards. No Construction Container shall be allowed to remain outside in a state of disassembly or disrepair.

Any Construction Container placed in violation or which is not removed at the termination of the permit may receive a violation of up to $2,000 per day if the property owner does not abate the violation within 15 days.

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The Council is now set to amend this ordinance to permit containers to be placed temporarily on Township roadways, within 12 inches of the curb or property line.

A Zoning permit of $100 will be required. The permit will expire after 45 days and can be extended for an additional 45 days for an additional $100.

Additionally, containers will now be permitted to be placed on any residential property for no fee. However, a zoning permit is still required. The application must identify where on the property the container will be located, and it must meet all setback requirements for an accessory structure for the zoning district in which the property is located.

A zoning permit for placement of a container on private property will be granted for 180 days. The permit can be granted for an additional 180 days.

In total, no more than 2 containers may be placed adjoining any residential property on a Township roadway and no more than 2 containers may be placed on a property located in a residential zone.

The amended ordinance, which is set to be voted on introduction this Tuesday, January 23, 2024, is not limited to roads of certain widths. As seen in the above picture, dumpsters are often placed on narrow roads, further exacerbating parking shortages, traffic congestion, and limiting vision for drivers.

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