Commission signals preference to keep trailer storage away from County Road 81 for Scannell site plan change

Scannell (Scannell) representatives presented a proposed reconfiguration of an approved 125,000-square-foot industrial building that would relocate trailer storage and yards to the property’s County Road 81 frontage. The project was originally approved in 2022 with trailer storage oriented away from 81; Scannell seeks to flip the building and change the yard layout to improve operational flow.

Commissioners and staff discussed visibility, screening and precedent. Planning staff noted the ordinance requires screening of trailer parking from adjacent rights-of-way and said that the site currently sits close to the railway corridor, limiting planting opportunities in some pinch points. Multiple commissioners said they preferred the trailer storage not be visible from County Road 81. "I do not like the trucks facing 81," one commissioner said, explaining a desire to protect the corridor’s fronting appearance.

Planning staff cited a 35-foot landscape buffer requirement along arterial corridors and said the applicant would need to demonstrate how required screening would meet the ordinance when mature. Commissioners pointed to a nearby Opus project that includes trailer parking visible from 81 and said that prior approvals do not set a binding precedent; several members urged the applicant to return with a revised concept plan or a full site plan that addresses screening, door colors and architectural treatments if the orientation change proceeds.

No final vote was taken on the reconfiguration. Staff recommended the applicant pursue either a new concept-plan submittal or a site-plan application and consult with city staff on screening, materials and layout so the city can judge visibility from County Road 81 and adjacent residential areas before any change to the approved plan is accepted.