Planning commission backs Bent Hill self‑storage special exception with conditions and added landscaping requirement

The planning commission recommended approval of a category 29 special exception (SPEX‑2523962) to permit a large indoor self‑storage facility in the Bent Hill / New Baltimore Service District, with conditions to limit storage to household/personal goods, control lighting and require additional landscaping along Edmore Court.

Staff said the proposal comprises approximately 107,000 square feet in six buildings on a 7.8‑acre site, with the primary office and climate‑controlled units in a 31,300‑square‑foot building and five additional exterior‑access buildings ranging up to about 36,000 square feet. The applicant estimated two employees on site, about 20 customer visits per day and 44 vehicle trips per day including deliveries; customers would have 24/7 gated access via code or key card.

Staff noted a recent zoning text amendment requires special exception review for any PCID district structure or group of structures exceeding 50,000 square feet; the special exception lets the commission add conditions to reduce impacts. Staff’s recommended conditions — which the commission included in its motion with one addition — limit units to personal property and household goods, prohibit indoor or outdoor storage of RVs, motorized vehicles or heavy equipment, specify office hours and require interior glazing and lighting controls to reduce light pollution. The commission asked staff to craft an additional condition requiring the same front‑yard landscape buffer along Edmore Court as shown for the Kennedy Road frontage, and that revision was incorporated in the recommended conditions.

The Vint Hill Conservancy submitted a letter of support and a conservancy representative testified in favor. The commission voted to forward a recommendation for approval to the Board of Supervisors with the listed conditions.