MARSHALL — The Marshall City Council will be holding a public hearing later this month on proposed ordinance changes that could allow residents to use shipping containers as storage structures in certain parts of town.

Under the proposed changes, property owners could apply for a conditional use permit (CUP) to have a shipping container on property in a general business district in Marshall.

Earlier this spring, the council heard a variance request from Monte Buntjer to have a shipping container as a permanent storage structure on property on the 500 block of East Main Street. Under current city ordinances, shipping containers can’t be used as permanent storage or accessory buildings in residential zoning districts, although they are permitted in industrial districts.

The prohibition on shipping containers was added to city ordinances in 2013, partly after a complaint about a shipping container next to a house.

The variance request the council received this spring was denied. However, the council had city staff do research on the topic and have the council’s Legislative and Ordinance Committee look at possibly updating the ordinances.

That committee and the Marshall Planning Commission proposed changing the city ordinances to allow a conditional use permit to install a single shipping container on property in a general business district. The proposal includes some general conditions for having a shipping container as a storage structure, said assistant Planning and Zoning administrator Ilya Gutman.

“The ordinance is written with some conditions listed, and those conditions mostly relate to the location and screening (the container) from public view,” Gutman said.

If the proposed ordinance is approved, there will still be some shipping containers on properties around Marshall that will not be in compliance, Gutman said.

Some council members said they had concerns about some of the language used in the proposal. Craig Schafer said he wasn’t in favor of requiring screening for a shipping container.

“We’re already requiring them to be painted an acceptable color, and to look acceptable,” Schafer said. “If we’re requiring them to screen (the containers), why are we requiring them to paint them?”

Gutman said the proposal requires containers to be screened from view of public streets and residential properties, and not from other commercial properties.

“That would be a good topic for the public hearing,” said Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes.

Council members voted to introduce the proposed ordinance and call for a public hearing on April 27.