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Council staff to narrow self-storage restrictions; drive-through rules to proceed separately
Summary
Council members and planning staff discussed revisions to a proposed local law that would make self-storage a special-permit use in LI, HI and GB zones with locational limits on certain Main Street frontages; drive-through facility language will be split into a separate local law for earlier consideration.
City planning staff told the council at a workshop meeting that proposed zoning changes would make self-storage facilities a special-permit use in the LI, HI and GB zoning districts and add locational restrictions for parcels fronting certain downtown streets.
The discussion, led by planning staff member Natalie, came after council feedback asking not to prohibit existing facilities outright and to limit self-storage near pedestrian-focused thoroughfares. Natalie said the draft adds a new subsection (cited in staff materials as “2 20 three-24.5”) that would prohibit self-storage and warehouse-storage buildings from locating along a lot’s frontage on a public right-of-way and would require such uses, if allowed on a parcel, to be behind active ground-floor uses, below grade, or in a secondary structure set back at least 10 feet from the primary structure with frontage on the right-of-way.
The proposed restrictions would apply only to parcels in LI, HI or GB that front on a short list of streets identified in the staff memo: Fishkill Avenue, Main Street, Beekman Street, Herbert, and Tyrande. Councilmember Amber pressed for naming only the streets where pedestrian activity is highest rather than prohibiting frontage on “all streets,” and Councilmember George said market economics make many downtown parcels unlikely locations for self-storage.
Natalie said existing self-storage operations that were approved before the change would likely remain as legally nonconforming uses but could be limited from expanding along the front property line. She told the council that the local law will need referral to the county planning board, referral to the city planning board and a new public hearing before final adoption.
Council members agreed to split the two Fishkill Avenue Committee recommendations and treat drive-through facilities and self-storage as separate local laws going forward. Natalie confirmed there were no edits to the proposed drive-through draft since the last workshop; staff will prepare separate materials so the council can set a hearing on the drive-through language sooner while continuing work on the self-storage revisions.
Council discussion weighed two drafting options: (1) make the special-permit locational requirements apply to all street frontages in the listed zones and allow a variance through the Zoning Board of Appeals; or (2) enumerate a specific list of streets in the code so that parcels on other streets would be permitted as-of-right (subject to site-plan review). Several councilmembers preferred enumerating the higher-priority streets (Main Street and Fishkill Avenue and a short list of others) and leaving other parcels as permitted uses or subject to a different review path.
Staff said they will revise the local law so the special-permit locational restrictions apply only to parcels within LI/HI/GB that front on the enumerated streets, then refer the amended draft to the city and county planning boards and schedule a public hearing.
The council did not take a final vote on a local-law text at the workshop; staff described the outcome as direction to revise the draft and proceed with required referrals and a new hearing.
