Frisco has new standards for outdoor donation boxes and bins, giving the city the ability to regulate boxes that are placed on commercial properties. Frisco City Council approved the new standards April 16. Frisco Planning Manager Anthony Satarino said code enforcement and planning departments have been handling an increased number of violations for unauthorized donation boxes on commercial properties over the past few years. He said the donation boxes have become a property maintenance issue with donated material cluttering the site outside of the box. No ordinance allowed donation boxes before the April 16 council meeting, Satarino said. The following are the new standards for donation boxes:

• All donation boxes will now require an approved site plan ensuring donation boxes are in compliance and include the property owner’s permission.
• Donated items will not be permitted to lay around the donation boxes. A regular pickup plan must be provided by the applicant as a requirement for approval.
• Donation boxes are prohibited to sit within parking spaces, sidewalks and landscape buffers.
• The standards will apply to donation boxes already placed in commercial areas without prior approval. This ordinance will allow current operators a one-year grace period to come into compliance. Code enforcement has the authority to issue citations to donation boxes not in compliance.