In September, 2005, the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) and the Regional Air Quality Task Force (RAQTF) approved the Good Neighbor Guidelines for Siting New and/or Modified Warehouse/Distribution Facilities. The Good Neighbor Guidelines used in this section are a modified version of the WRCOG's RAQTF Guidelines. The modified version includes goals and strategies that fit the specific needs of the city of Moreno Valley.
These "Good Neighbor Guidelines for Siting New and/or Modified Warehouse/Distribution Facilities," (referred to as "Good Neighbor Guidelines") assist planning departments, developers, property owners, elected officials, community organizations, and the general public as a tool to potentially help address some of the complicated choices associated with permitting warehouse/distribution facilities and understanding the options available when addressing environmental issues. These Good Neighbor Guidelines are designed to help minimize the impacts of diesel particulate matter (PM) from on-road trucks associated with warehouses and distribution centers on sensitive receptors located within the city of Moreno Valley. Sensitive receptors include residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, playgrounds, day care centers, nursing homes, hospitals, and other public places where residents are most likely to spend time.
For the purpose of these Guidelines, warehouse/distribution center means a building used for the storage, receiving, shipping, or wholesaling of goods and merchandise, and any incidental or accessory activities that is greater than 650,000 square feet. This shall be cumulative to include multiple warehouse buildings deemed as part of a project or a phased project exceeding a combined total building area of 650,000 square feet. For the purpose of these Guidelines, a warehouse and distribution center is not intended to include "big box" discount or warehouse stores that sell retail goods, merchandise or equipment, or storage and mini-storage facilities that are offered for rent or lease to the general public.
A. Minimize exposure to diesel emissions to neighbors that are situated in close proximity to the warehouse/distribution center by using the following strategies:
1. To the extent possible, locate driveways, loading docks and internal circulation routes away from residential uses or any other sensitive receptors.
2. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section 12.38.020(B)(2), Parking Prohibitions or Restrictions, is unlawful to park or leave standing any commercial vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more on any vacant lot or unimproved nonresidential property in the city.
3. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section 12.38.020(B)(5), Parking Prohibitions or Restrictions, is unlawful to park or leave standing any commercial vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds within any commercially zoned property for the purpose other than doing business at the site, and/or remaining parked or standing for longer than reasonably appropriate to do such business acts related to such business operations.
4. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section 12.38.020(B)(8), Parking Prohibitions or Restrictions, is unlawful to park or leave standing any commercial vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more on any highway, street or road which is adjacent to a parcel upon which there exists a public facility.
5. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section
9.10.150, Odors, no operation or activity shall be permitted which emits odorous gases or other odorous matter in such quantities as to be dangerous, injurious, noxious, or otherwise objectionable to a level that is detectable with or without the aid of instruments at or beyond the lot line of the property containing said operation or activity.
B. Eliminate diesel trucks from unnecessarily traversing through residential neighborhoods by using the following strategies:
1. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section
12.36.030, Designation of Truck Routes, the city traffic engineer shall erect appropriate signs designating the affected street or portion thereof.
2. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section 12.38.020(B)(1), Parking Prohibitions or Restrictions, is unlawful to park or leave standing any commercial vehicle weighing 10,000 pounds or more on any highway, street, road, alley or private property within any residential district within the city.
3. Required warehouse/distribution centers to establish a specific truck route and post signage between the warehouse/distribution center and the freeway and/or primary access arterial that achieves the objective.
4. Require warehouse/distribution centers to provide signage or flyers identifying where food, lodging and entertainment can be found, when it is not available on site.
C. Eliminate trucks from using residential areas and repairing vehicles on the streets by using the following strategies:
1. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section 12.38.020(A)(4), Parking Prohibitions or Restrictions," it is unlawful to park or leave standing any vehicle on any highway, street, road or alley within the city for the purpose of servicing or repairing such vehicle except when necessitated by an emergency.
2. Allow warehouse/distribution facilities to establish an area within the facility for repairs.
D. Reduce and/or eliminate diesel idling within the warehouse/distribution center by using the following strategies:
1. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section
12.38.020(C), Parking Prohibitions or Restrictions, while adjacent to a developed residential area, the operator shall not idle the vehicle's engine for longer than five minutes.
2. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section 12.50.040(A)(1), Idling Limitation, a driver of a vehicle must turn off the engine upon stopping at a destination.
3. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section
12.50.040(C), Idling Limitation, an equipment operator of a TRU (transportation refrigeration unit) must not cause or allow a TRU to operate while stationary unless the vehicle is lawfully parked at a location approved for truck parking by this code and not within 500 feet of a school unless the operator is actively engaged in the process of loading or unloading cargo or is waiting in a queue to load or unload cargo for a period not to exceed two hours.
4. Enforce compliance with Moreno Valley Municipal Code Section
12.50.060(D), Relationship to Other Laws, nothing in this chapter allows idling in excess of other applicable laws, including, but not limited to, any other local, state or federal law or regulation as stringent as, or more stringent than this chapter.
5. Future tenant improvements involving conversion of a warehouse for refrigeration storage shall include electrical hookups for refrigeration units.
6. Promote the installation of on-site electric hook-ups to eliminate the idling of main and auxiliary engines during loading and unloading of cargo and when trucks are not in use.
(Ord. 849 § 2.1, 2012; Ord. 912 § 11, 2016)