Hawthorne City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 17
05i TRUCKING INTENSIVE OVERLAY
§ 17.05i.010 Purpose and intent.
In order to conserve and protect the continued viability of the City's industrial sector, provide for a wide range of industrial uses and building sizes, and to insure compatibility with other land uses, it is the intention of the City to control the location, development and design of trucking uses (as defined in Chapter 17.02). Trucking uses shall be permitted in the Trucking Intensive Overlay (TIO) upon issuance of a TIO trucking use permit in compliance with the following requirements. In adopting the requirements of this chapter, the City seeks to: avoid the future obsolescence of trucking uses; reduce the impacts associated with the development of trucking uses; control the location and concentration of trucking uses so as to mitigate the noise, traffic, air pollution, and other impacts to adjacent or nearby sensitive land uses, such as residences, schools, parks, and hospitals and achieve a high level of quality for the site and architectural designs.
The TIO is an overlay that is applied to certain properties located in the M-2 zone in which trucking uses (as defined in Chapter 17.02) are permitted. The gross land area within the TIO at any given time may have a maximum of 470,000 square feet of building floor area devoted to the storage space for goods for trucking uses. In each building, 20% of gross floor area may be used for office and similar ancillary and related uses. The total gross building floor area, including the floor area for ancillary uses, of buildings or structures for all properties developed for trucking uses within the TIO shall not exceed 564,000 square feet. In addition, subletting within tenant suites or offices shall not be permitted. Temporary structures, sheds or enclosures that do not require building permits shall count towards the 470,000 square feet allowable storage space for goods for trucking uses and towards the total gross floor area of 564,000 square feet. The location of the TIO shall be as set forth in Section 17.05a.010 and property within the TIO may be used for the purposes set out in this chapter, upon issuance of a TIO trucking use permit.
(Ord. 1725 § 6, 2001; Ord. 2263, 6/23/2026[1])
[1]
Editor's Note: This chapter was renumbered from Ch. 17.86.
§ 17.05i.020 TIO trucking use permit application.
An operator shall file an application with the planning department for issuance of a "TIO trucking use permit." The application shall be made on an application form prepared by the planning department.
The planning department shall review the TIO trucking use permit application and notify the operator within 30 days of the date the application is submitted whether or not the application is deemed complete. If the application is deemed complete, the planning department shall review the application and, if the proposed use complies with the terms and conditions of this chapter and the property is in compliance with all applicable requirements of the Hawthorne Municipal Code, and the building department has issued a certificate of occupancy permit for the proposed use, and all applicable fees, licenses and permits have been paid, then the planning department shall issue the TIO trucking use permit.
A TIO trucking use permit shall terminate: (1) upon notification by the operator to the planning department of voluntary termination of trucking uses at the property for which the TIO trucking use permit was issued; or (2) if the operator discontinues trucking uses at the property for which the TIO trucking use permit was issued for a continuous period of 12 months or more; or (3) upon failure of the operator to pay required license, mitigation or other fees or to obtain any needed city business licenses and pay applicable fees as and when due; or (4) upon the failure of the operator to maintain the property in compliance with all applicable state, federal and municipal laws and ordinances. If a TIO trucking use permit terminates as a result of subsections 1, 2, 3 or 4 of this paragraph then a new TIO trucking use permit will be required for any operator who wants to engage in trucking uses.
(Ord. 1725 § 6, 2001; Ord. 2263, 6/23/2026)
§ 17.05i.030 Submittal of development plan.
No application for a TIO trucking use permit shall be considered except in conjunction with approved project construction plans. Project construction plans shall be submitted for review to ensure that they are compliant with this ordinance codified in this chapter, prior to any submission for a TIO trucking use permit application by an operator. Such project construction plans will be reviewed by the planning department, building department, public works department, fire department, police department, business license department and community services department for compliance with the requirements set forth in this ordinance and the Hawthorne Municipal Code.
(Ord. 1725 § 6, 2001; Ord. 2263, 6/23/2026)
§ 17.05i.040 Requirements for trucking uses.
Trucking uses as defined in Chapter 17.02, are permitted in the TIO and shall comply with the following conditions and requirements, in addition to all other provisions of this Title and Code:
A.
Loading positions/areas shall be designated on the site, at all docks, truck wells and inside buildings or structures designed for the purpose of loading goods onto or off of trucks, trailers, vehicles, trains or other types of conveyances for transporting the goods. No truck parking, loading or unloading of goods, products, containers, property or similar activities shall be permitted to occur on: (i) other areas of the property, or (ii) in the buildings or structures not so designated, or (iii) on public or private streets.
B.
With the exception of warehousing uses (as defined in Chapter 17.02), for every 5,000 square feet of building floor space dedicated to storage area for goods for trucking uses (not including mezzanine or office areas), all trucking uses shall provide at least one truck position on site.
C.
On-site parking shall be provided at a minimum rate of one space for every 300 square feet of gross floor area dedicated to office uses, plus one space for every 5,000 square feet of gross floor area dedicated to warehouse uses, or one parking space for every employee working at the site, which ever is greater.
D.
All trucking use facilities are to provide security, which may include lighting, alarm equipment and/or security patrol. A security plan shall be submitted to the Hawthorne police department for recommendations and approval.
E.
All outdoor storage areas for property, goods, materials, truck tractors or trailers must be secured by an eight foot high view-obscuring fence.
F.
No trailers detached from tractors or tractor/trailers may be stored or parked on public or private streets within the City of Hawthorne at any time. At no time shall tractors or tractor/trailers be parked two or more abreast on public or private streets within the City of Hawthorne. Tractor/trailers shall not be parked on public or private streets designated as truck routes for longer than 20 minutes.
G.
Application shall submit to the building department a soils report with recommendations for development/paving standards to be used for all new driveways, parking areas and outdoor storage areas to be constructed or improved on the property.
H.
TIO trucking use permits cannot be transferred from one property or operator to another. Any proposed changed to a property brought about as a result of construction requiring a building permit, additional uses, the addition of additional tenants who are operators, or an owner's becoming an operator shall require a new TIO trucking use permit.
I.
Applicant shall be responsible for the following planning department fees: application fee for TIO trucking use permit; annual inspection fee; microfilming of documents and plans fee; and the annual trucking use fee. The amount of all fees shall be determined and thereafter adjusted by resolution or ordinance of the City Council, following completion of studies and in conformance with the requirements of the Government Code concerning the adoption fees. All fees shall be paid at the time the application for a TIO trucking use permit is made. All building and planning fees are required to be paid prior to submission of plans for plan check and issuance of a building permit.
J.
Landscaping and hardscape features shall be required at building entrances and site entrances (driveways). All on-site parking lots visible from the public right-of-way shall have not less than 5% of the paved area landscaped. All on-site parking lots adjacent to public rights-of-way shall have a six-foot landscaped area. Only on-premises signs are permitted within the landscaped area. No structures, uses, services or utilities (public or private phones included) are permitted in the landscaped area. All fencing shall be to the rear of the landscaped area. Street trees shall be planted in the public right-of-way adjacent to the property. The director of parks and recreation shall determine the type of trees, locations, size and number. Street trees must be a minimum of eight feet tall, have a trunk diameter of at least four inches measured four feet above grade, and be evenly spaced along property lines.
K.
Exterior architectural design and materials shall be consistent with those in the surrounding community. Blank flat walls without architectural relief shall be prohibited.
L.
All landscaped areas, required by this Title or otherwise, shall be planted with plants from the list of approved landscaping plants in Appendix A at the end of this Title.
1.
The use of plants not on the list may be approved by the director of planning on a case-by-case basis. The applicant is responsible to provide documentation that the proposed plants are appropriate for the climate and the proposed location on the property. The director of planning will approve the use of the plant upon determining that it is not considered a noxious or invasive propagator, that it does not create problems with invasive roots when proposed near structures or property lines, that the plant does not require excessive watering to thrive, and that the plant does not pose a hazard to persons or structures.
2.
All landscaped areas must be irrigated with an irrigation system that includes an automatic programmable timer, a precipitation override mechanism, and appropriate valves and sprinkler heads for the proposed landscaping.
M.
A five-foot setback from all public or private streets shall be provided for all structures. The setback area shall be landscaped, except for driveways and public walks. All landscaping shall be irrigated with a fully automatic sprinkler system and continuously maintained.
(Ord. 1725 § 6, 2001; Ord. 1939 § 19, 2009; Ord. 2263, 6/23/2026)
