Would open motor dead vehicle storage for cars, trucks, trailers, etc. be considered S-2?

[AIASI TA Chair]

I am a new user, although I have been reading the Building Code Forum posts here and there since 2008 when NYC trashed their 1968 Building Code and adopted the IBC (with minor modifications). It is a breath of fresh air to get the perspective of code users from across the country. Most of the posts about long term vehicle storage and Occupancy S-2 or S-1 have been about storage "within a building". My question pertains to the open use of land for general vehicle storage, not within a building. These uses are primarily located in Manufacturing / Industrial zoning districts. Examples of these open used are a) open storage of plastic wrapped new passenger cars and trucks coming in from the manufacturer and being stored near railroad yards, shipping ports or airports, prior to distribution to a local dealership, or b) open storage of empty trailers next to an Amazon distribution warehouse, or c) open storage of new non-passenger industrial machinery such as dump trucks, tractors, backhoes, etc. These open storage facilities are the primary use of the land and are not accessory to a building. A Certificate of Occupancy for the open use of the land needs to be issued specifying the Occupancy Classification. Many of the related threads (such as the Vehicle Storage thread started June 20, 2019) address such vehicle storage within a building and expand on the construction classification, sprinklers, fire area, fire code, fuel storage, hazardous storage, types of vehicles, etc. It was great to see the participation and many perspectives on the issue. So I was hoping for some guidance on the Occupancy Classification of the above-mentioned open vehicle storage uses. Thank you.

 

[Yankee Chronicler]

Does not apply.

The ICC model codes are model BUILDING codes. Storage of motor vehicles inside a building is an S-1 occupancy. The IBC does not regulate what happens in the parking lot -- even if it's a very large parking lot.

 

[steveray]

You could sort of call it S1 or S2, but the building code doesn't really call it anything without some type of building....

 

[classicT]

No building or structure, no occupancy.

Perhaps you are looking at this from a zoning and land use perspective?

 

[ICE]

You could sort of call it S1 or S2

I'm leaning more towards X1, X2 or even an X3.

 

[steveray]

I'm leaning more towards X1, X2 or even an X3.

Sure....I don't assign labels unless the building code is involved....