Chapter 18.46
GI – GENERAL INDUSTRIAL ZONE

Sections:

18.46.010    Purpose.

18.46.020    Uses permitted.

18.46.030    Uses permitted with conditions.

18.46.040    Uses requiring a special use permit.

18.46.050    Development standards.

18.46.010 Purpose.

This zone is intended to provide for a variety of light industrial operations, fabricating, processing, wholesale distributing and warehousing uses appropriately located relative to major transportation facilities. The major portion of the business activity is conducted either within enclosed buildings or screened open space yards. All land uses in this zone shall be constructed and operated to ensure that there is no excessive noise, vibration, smoke, dust or other particulate matter, toxic or noxious matter, humidity, heat or glare at or beyond any lot line of the parcel on which the use is located. “Excessive” is defined as a degree exceeding that degree caused in their customary manner of operation by users permitted in the GI zone, a degree injurious to the public health, safety and welfare or to a degree which is a nuisance by reason of excessiveness. Residential uses shall not be permitted except for a residential watchman, caretaker or proprietor of a commercial use. This zone is available for use only in territory that has become a part of the town of Mesilla by annexation subsequent to February 9, 2004. [Ord. 2004-02 § 3]

18.46.020 Uses permitted.

Uses permitted in the GI zone are as follows:

1. Automobile and truck parking garages and lots.

2. Automobile and truck service stations.

3. Business offices.

4. Commercial or trade schools.

5. Dwelling for resident watchman and caretaker employed on the premises, and for business proprietors, provided the dwelling is located on the same property as the business.

6. Electrical shops.

7. Engraving shops.

8. Fence and wall sales and storage.

9. Glass cutting and finishing.

10. Hardware stores.

11. Laboratories – research, experimental or testing.

12. Lumber yards.

13. Newspaper establishments, distribution centers.

14. Paint supplies, sales and distribution.

15. Rental and sales of contractor equipment.

16. Restaurants with no drive-in service.

17. Service establishments for repair and maintenance of home and business appliances, building maintenance and repair including pest control, tree and lawn services.

18. Sign construction and sales.

19. Storage buildings and warehouses.

20. Telephone exchange stations.

21. Tire sales and service establishments.

22. Welding and light fabrication.

23. Beverage blending or bottling, baking products, candy manufacturing, tobacco products, dairy products and ice cream, fruit and vegetable processing and canning.

24. Compounding of cosmetics, toiletries, drugs and pharmaceutical products.

25. Cotton ginning and bailing, cotton seed products, manufacturing, flour milling, grain elevators.

26. Ice and cold storage plants.

27. Manufacturing or assemblage of bolts, nuts, screws and rivets, photographic and metering equipment, electrical appliances, tools, machinery and hardware products, sheet metal products, heating, cooling and ventilation equipment.

28. Manufacturing of boxes, furniture, cabinets, baskets and other wooden products of a similar nature.

29. Manufacturing or assembly of medical and dental equipment, drafting, optical and musical instruments, watches, clocks, toys, games, electrical or electronic apparatus and communication equipment.

30. Manufacturing of pottery or other similar ceramic products from previously pulverized clay in kilns fired only by smoke fan furnaces.

31. Manufacturing of rugs, mattresses, pillows, quilts, hosiery, clothing and fabrics, shoes and leather products, printing and finishing of textiles and fibers into fabric goods.

32. Storage in bulk of, or warehouse for, such material as contractor’s equipment and supplies, clothing, cotton, drugs, dry goods, films, furniture, feed, fertilizer, grain, glass, groceries, hardware, hay, lumber, machinery, rope and shop supplies. [Ord. 2004-02 § 3]

18.46.030 Uses permitted with conditions.

Uses permitted with conditions in the GI zone are as follows:

A. Automobile, mobile home, trailer and truck sales, rentals and storage. The vehicle area must be graded and surfaced with asphalt, concrete or other materials that will provide equivalent protection against potholes, erosion, dust and a solid wall or fence six feet high shall be maintained along any side of such area abutting or contiguous to any residential zone.

B. Construction or contractor’s yard. The yard shall be maintained in a neat and orderly fashion and enclosed by a solid wall or fence of a minimum six feet in height. However, there shall be no fence or wall more than three feet in height above street curb level or ground level at edge of street within the clear sight triangle.

C. Garages for repair of passenger motor vehicles, light trucks, vans and motorcycles, including bodywork. All work must be performed in a completely enclosed building. There shall be no storage of junk automobiles for salvage purposes and only those motor vehicles awaiting repairs can be parked on the premises behind a solid wall or fence so that such vehicles will not be visible from surrounding properties.

D. Heavy equipment repair service permitted only as an incidental or accessory use to heavy equipment sales or rentals. Floor area for repair shall not exceed 3,000 square feet and not exceed 30 percent of the total gross floor area. Welding is permitted only in conjunction with the repair service and shall not be used for the purpose of heavy equipment assembly.

E. Open or exterior storage and display of merchandise and materials. Storage or display of materials on the exterior of a building shall be completely enclosed by a fence or wall of solid construction, no less than six feet in height, except for mobile homes, cars, trucks or motorcycles.

F. Paint shop, mixing, treatment and spraying. Buildings shall be located 100 feet from any residential zoning district and obtain approval from the county or local fire prevention inspector.

G. Public utility installations, substations and water wells. The site shall be developed and maintained in conformance with the general character and appearance of the zoning district and shall include landscaping and suitable screening in the form of a solid wall, fence or compact shrubbery around the perimeter of the lot or tract.

H. Restaurants with drive-in service must have at least one stacking lane 10 feet in width and 200 feet in length for each drive-in window that is designed to ensure that no business traffic backs onto the street giving access to the restaurant.

I. Storage of wrecked or dismantled vehicles and parts thereof shall be permitted only as an incidental or accessory use to a vehicle repair establishment or body shop permitted in this zone. Such use shall be in accordance with the following:

1. Storage shall be within an enclosed building or within a site-obscuring fence at least six feet in height above adjacent road grades.

2. Vehicles and parts stored on the exterior of a building shall be owned by customers of the business and such storage shall be only for the purpose of repair and return to customers.

3. Any vehicle stored on the exterior of a building shall not remain on the premises for a period exceeding three months.

4. There shall be a maximum of 20 wrecked vehicles stored on the exterior of a building at any one time.

5. Exterior storage shall be a minimum of 100 feet from a residential zoning district.

J. Commercial, industrial laundries and dry cleaning establishments. Only nonflammable or noncombustible materials are to be used in the cleaning process and that portion of the structure in which a cleaning process is done shall be located at least 50 feet from a residential zone.

K. Garages for repair of diesel trucks, semi trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles and equipment. All work must be performed in a completely enclosed building or in an area fully enclosed by a solid fence of a minimum six feet in height. There shall be no open storage of parts, salvage materials or vehicle bodies, junk vehicles or equipment for salvage purposes. Only those vehicles awaiting repairs can be parked on the premises behind a solid wall or fence so that such vehicles will not be visible from surrounding properties. [Ord. 2004-02 § 3]

18.46.040 Uses requiring a special use permit.

Uses requiring special use permits in the GI zone are as follows:

A. Airports or heliports.

B. Bus passenger terminals, including storage of buses.

C. Major facilities for generation of energy, water treatment plants, sewer treatment plants, commercial and public radio and television broadcasting and microwave broadcasting and receiving facilities, storage yards for public utilities and similar uses.

D. Recycling centers.

E. Satellite parking areas.

F. Wind-driven electrical generators or wind-driven pumps.

G. Railroad rights-of-way including a strip of land with tracks and auxiliary facilities for track operation, passenger stations, switching yards and terminals, repair shops, roundhouses, powerhouses, interlocking towers and fueling, sanding and water stations.

H. Mobile homes on a permanent basis for the purpose of housing security guards pursuant to MTC 18.70.030. Conditions shall be attached regarding unobtrusive siting and screening. [Ord. 2004-02 § 3]

18.46.050 Development standards.

Development standards in the GI zone are as follows:

A. Minimum lot area: 5,000 square feet.

B. Minimum lot width: 60 feet.

C. Minimum lot depth: 70 feet.

D. Minimum front setback: 25 feet.

E. Minimum side setback: seven feet.

F. Minimum rear setback: 15 feet.

G. Maximum building height: 50 feet. [Ord. 2004-02 § 3]