1 City Council Meeting: January 13, 2026 Santa Monica, California ORDINANCE NUMBER _________ (CCS)
(City Council Series)
AN INTERIM ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SANTA MONICA UPDATING APPLICABILITY THRESHOLDS AND STANDARDS FOR
RESOURCE AND RECYCLING ROOM DIMENSIONS SET FORTH IN SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 9.21.130 IN ORDER TO FURTHER
ECONOMIC RECOVERY EFFORTS BY FACILITATING A SELF-CERTIFICATION
BUILDING PERMIT PROGRAM
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the City Manager, as the Director of Emergency Services (“Director of Emergency Services”), proclaimed the existence of a local emergency pursuant to Chapter 2.16 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code to ensure the availability of mutual aid and effectuate the City’s response to the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), and this local emergency was restated on March 14, 2020, through a revised declaration of local emergency to ensure compliance with all digital signature requirements (the “Executive Order”); and
WHEREAS, on March 16, 2020, the Director of Emergency Services issued a Third Supplement to the Executive Order, requiring the closure of a wide range of businesses including bars, nightclubs, on-premises restaurant service, movie theatres, live performance venues, gyms, fitness centers, spas, hair salons, nail salons, and massage parlors; and
WHEREAS, on March 19, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20 directing all residents of the State of California to heed directives issued by the State Health Officer on the same date instructing all Californians to stay home except as needed to maintain continuity of operations of the federal critical infrastructure sectors; and
2 WHEREAS, on March 19, 2020, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an enhanced Health Officer Order, the Safer at Home Order for Control of COVID-19, amending and superseding its earlier March 16, 2020 Order, closing all nonessential businesses, and limiting gatherings to 9 people or less; and WHERAS, after March 19, 2020, the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, on multiple occasions, amended and modified its Health Officer Order, recognizing the issues posed by community transmission of COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, and, in response, maintaining public health measures that have, at differing times, included strict limitations on public gatherings, required closures of certain businesses, and strict limitations and protocols for the operations of businesses permitted to remain open; and WHEREAS, as of March 31, 2023, the local, state, and federal COVID-19 emergency declarations have concluded; and
WHEREAS, although the emergency orders have been lifted, the economic impacts of the COVID-19 closures of, and limitations on, businesses have been and continue to be devastating to the local Santa Monica economy, and various locations are continuing to experience economic uncertainty; and
WHEREAS, as the commercial and economic landscape evolves, the City’s economic recovery and competitive advantage will depend on its ability to deliver on a diverse range of business uses; and
WHEREAS, the City has an important governmental interest in maintaining a thriving business community and protecting the health, safety, and economic welfare of its citizens and businesses; and
3 WHEREAS, in connection with the City’s economic recovery efforts, on February 11, 2025, City Council directed staff to create a self-certification pilot program allowing building permits for “non-structural commercial tenant improvements, single-family home improvements, and accessory dwelling units” to bypass the normal plan review process and receive approval within one to five business days; and WHEREAS, the purpose of this direction is to facilitate the City’s economic recovery and reduce the workload on plan check professionals, allowing staff to focus on the more complex projects in the City that require their attention; and WHEREAS, the self-certification program will fully remove plan check review for certain identified project times and shift the responsibility for determining compliance with all codes to a pre-qualified licensed architect, who would certify that projects comply with requirements of the Building Code, Fire Code, Zoning Ordinance, and Public Works, including Resource Recovery and Recycling (RRR), Office of Sustainability and Environment, and Water Resources; and
WHEREAS, streamlining the review process for certain projects will facilitate business recovery and generate increased sales tax revenue for the City; and WHEREAS, the initial stages of the self-certification program will focus on commercial tenant improvements, which comprise approximately 36% of the building permits submitted to the City; and
WHEREAS, Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.21.130 provides RRR Standards in connection with General Site Regulations; and 4 WHEREAS, the proposed amendments to the RRR standards simplify the thresholds for when trash enclosure updates and review are required and revise implementation of resources and recycling room dimensions; and WHEREAS, one of the current applicability thresholds is based on outdated permit valuation standards and cumulative alterations made over the course of a twelve-month period; and
WHEREAS, these thresholds have consistently presented constraints to new businesses, and amendments to these requirements are required to facilitate an effective self-certification program; and
WHEREAS, the amendments will also address long-standing issues that will benefit all permittees, facilitate the City’s economic recovery, streamline the building permit process for a variety of projects, and provide more transparency with respect to permit requirements; and
WHEREAS, the amendment will also eliminate the standard pertaining to “Large Residential, Nonresidential and Mixed-Use Development” that gives discretionary approval to the Director of Public Works to determine trash room dimensions, as this is not an objective standard or process; and
WHEREAS, removing this language provides greater transparency and objectivity to trash enclosure standards; and
WHEREAS, City Council finds and declares that there exists a current and immediate threat to public health, safety, and welfare continues to exist due to the devastating impact the COVID-19 mandated closures and limitations have had on the local business economy along with the City’s current usage of outdated permit valuation 5 thresholds for determining when trash enclosure dimensions review is required, such that requiring applicants to comply with these RRR requirements would result in a threat to public health, safety, and welfare.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA DOES HEREBY ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.21.130 is hereby amended as follows:
Section 9.21.130. Resource Recovery and Recycling Standards.
A. Applicability. All uses shall provide refuse and recycling storage and staging areas that comply with the standards of this Section. Refuse and recycling rooms meeting the standards of subsection (C) shall be provided in conjunction with:
1. New construction for which a building permit is required.
2. Improvements affecting refuse and recycling areas of publicly owned facilities.
3. Additions that add 30% or more to the existing floor area.
4. Eating and Drinking Establishments, as defined in Section 9.51.030(B)(8), and Food and Beverage Sales, as defined in Section 9.51.030(B)(10).
B. General Requirements. Each parcel containing a building or structure shall provide and maintain one or more refuse containers and recycling containers on the premises.
1. Containers shall be of sufficient capacity and number to accommodate the refuse and recyclable materials generated by the uses on the parcel, in compliance with guidelines established by the Public Works Department. An adequate number of bins or 6 containers to allow for the collection and loading of refuse and recyclable materials shall be located within the refuse and recycling rooms or outdoor enclosures.
2. All outdoor storage of refuse, recyclable materials, and other items or material intended to be discarded or collected shall be screened from public view. On parcels where refuse and recyclable materials are both stored and collected adjacent to an alley or other public right-of-way, the refuse and recyclable materials shall be screened from public view on at least 3 sides by a solid opaque impact-resistant wall not less than 5 feet or more than 8 feet in height, and on the fourth side by a solid opaque impactresistant gate not less than 5 feet or more than 8 feet in height, or of other such material or design approved by the Architectural Review Board. The gate shall be maintained in working order and shall remain closed except during such times as refuse, recyclable materials and other such items are being discarded, placed for collection, or collected.
3. All refuse and recyclable materials which are stored and collected from the same location out of doors shall be stored not more than 10 feet from the parcel line which is closest to the refuse collection point. If the collection area is more than 20 feet from the collection point, a staging area within 10 feet of the collection point is necessary.
4. Refuse and recycling rooms or outdoor enclosures shall be secured to prevent the theft of recyclable materials by unauthorized persons, while allowing authorized persons access for disposal of materials, and must provide protection against adverse environmental conditions which may render the collected materials unmarketable.
7 C. Refuse and Recycling Rooms. A refuse and recycling room or outdoor enclosure shall comply with all the requirements of the Zoning District in which it is located as well as the following minimum design standards:
1. Single Unit and Duplex Residences. Single Unit Residences and Duplexes shall include a designated area to store refuse, recycling, and organic materials screened from public view or a designated area in a garage or accessory structure.
2. Residential Multiple-Unit Development. Developments consisting of 3 or more dwelling units shall include a refuse and recycling room meeting the minimum dimensions stated in Table 9.21.130.A below, or shall provide an equivalent space within an outdoor enclosure that conforms to the same dimensions stated in the table.
TABLE 9.21.130.A: MINIMUM RESOURCE AND RECYCLING ROOM DIMENSIONS – RESIDENTIAL MULTI-UNIT DEVELOPMENT
Number of
Residential Units
Minimum Room Dimensions
Width (ft.) Length (ft.) Height (ft.)
3 – 10 units 22 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft. (1)
11 – 20 units 22 ft. 14 ft. 10 ft. (1)
21 or greater 28 ft. 20 ft. 10 ft. (1)
(1) An outdoor enclosure must have walls at least 6 ft. in height and an opening at least 8 ft. wide.
3. Nonresidential and Mixed-Use Development.
a. Nonresidential and mixed-use developments shall include a refuse and recycling room meeting the minimum dimensions stated in Table 9.21.130.B below, or shall provide an equivalent space available in a centralized area or an 8 outdoor enclosure with the same width and length dimensions, and a minimum height of 6 feet, and an opening at least 8 feet wide.
b. Refuse and recycling rooms or outdoor enclosures shall be at the same grade as and adjacent to an existing alley, if the site is adjacent to an alley. c. The 3 interior walls of refuse and recycling indoor and outdoor enclosures shall include a 2 inch by 16 inch wall guard covering the length of all interior walls in existing properties, or a curb 6 inches in depth by 8 inches tall for remodels and new construction.
d. Nonresidential buildings and buildings that prepare process and/or sell any and all food products must have a fully-enclosed refuse, and recycling and food waste area with lighting, ventilation, and sanitary drains. Size and dimensions shall conform to the required design standards outlined in this Chapter.
TABLE 9.21.130.B: MINIMUM RESOURCE AND RECYCLING ROOM DIMENSIONS – NONRESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AND MIXED-USE
Aggregate Floor
Area
Minimum Room Dimensions
Width (ft.) Length (ft.) Height (ft.)
Less than 5,000 sq.
ft.
22 ft. 10 ft. 10 ft.
5,001 – 20,000 sq.
ft.
22 ft. 14 ft. 10 ft.
20,001 sq. ft. or
greater
28 ft. 20 ft. 10 ft.
9 4. Subterranean Storage. Buildings or structures in which refuse and recyclable materials are stored in otherwise locked and secured subterranean garages may be permitted to designate a fenced area for the storage of refuse and recyclable materials in compliance with specifications as to location and materials established by the Director of Public Works.
D. Modifications. The Director of Public Works, in consultation with the Director of Planning, shall have the authority to modify the requirements, as listed below, subject to the design standards of this Section when, upon a written application for a modification, the Director of Public Works determines that the applicant has demonstrated that imposition of the design standards is technically infeasible or creates an unreasonable hardship. Such authority shall be limited to the following:
1. Modify the dimensions of refuse and recycling rooms or outdoor enclosures, provided that the frequency of refuse collection is modified to adequately serve the uses on the parcel and protect the public health, safety and general welfare.
2. Permit more than one recycling room or outdoor enclosure, provided the aggregate area is in substantial compliance with the design standards of this Section as determined by the Director of Public Works, and provided that each room or outdoor enclosure furnishes convenient access for disposal and collection of both refuse and recyclable materials. Refuse containers located adjacent to alleys should remain open to the alley. Refuse enclosures in subterranean parking areas should have a door of equal size with door-stops attached or a follow-up door and provide adequate lighting, ventilation and sanitary drains. If the refuse enclosure is located in a subterranean parking area or remote locations, a City-approved staging area on private property at the alley or 10 street level must be provided. In the event that the location of the refuse and recyclable room or outdoor enclosure is not convenient for collection, the Director of Public Works shall be authorized to require payment of a fee, established by resolution of the City Council, for collection of the refuse and recyclable materials. In no event shall a fee be authorized in lieu of providing a refuse and recycling room or outdoor enclosure.
SECTION 2. Any provision of the Santa Monica Municipal Code or appendices thereto inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the extent of such inconsistencies and no further, is hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a decision of any court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Ordinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this Ordinance and each and every section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase not declared invalid or unconstitutional without regard to whether any portion of the ordinance would be subsequently declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4. The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this Ordinance. The City Clerk shall cause the same to be published once in the official newspaper within 15 days after its adoption. This Ordinance shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
11 SECTION 5. This Ordinance shall be of no further force and effect sixty days from its effective date, unless it is otherwise extended pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 9.46.090(C).
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________
HEIDI VON TONGELN
Interim City Attorney