Commission places Space Place outdoor storage request on inactive agenda after disputes over screening, expired BZA approval

Planning commissioners continued and placed on the commission’s inactive agenda the Space Place outdoor storage request at 9165 South Freeway Drive after a lengthy hearing that highlighted screening requirements, an expired Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) authorization, and enforcement concerns about a separate, existing site owned by the same applicant.

Background: the applicant previously received a BZA variance (April 17, 2024) conditioned on screening and administrative staff review; staff and commissioners said the project returned now with new documentation, including a consent agreement with FirstEnergy addressing an electric-transmission easement that limits planting in parts of the frontage. Staff recommended more, denser screening than initially proposed – evergreen trees such as arborvitae or spruce rather than only low shrubs – and a more robust landscape palette because the easement limits tree planting in some spots.

Key issues discussed: (1) A city staff member and commissioners noted the BZA decision is time‑limited: a BZA approval requires the applicant to act within 12 months; meeting testimony said the applicant’s BZA authorization now falls slightly beyond that window, which invalidates the prior BZA action and requires the applicant to return to the BZA if it still wants the relief. (2) Commissioners and staff stressed that the city’s outdoor storage rules require “abundant” and “extensive” screening when storage is visible from a public right-of-way; staff asked the applicant to propose a combination of an opaque board‑on‑board (or equivalent) fence plus dense evergreen plantings and taller ornamental grasses to soften the wall above the bin blocks. (3) Commissioners expressed enforcement concerns: photos submitted showed unlicensed or junk vehicles at a different facility owned by the applicant; several commissioners said the commission should not approve an additional outdoor storage area while an existing site operated by the same owner remained noncompliant.

Outcome and next steps: the applicant asked for time to pursue FirstEnergy’s written approval for planting and to work with the association and BZA; commissioners agreed to place the item on the inactive agenda so the applicant could develop a screening plan that FirstEnergy will accept and resolve the outstanding compliance issues at the other site. Commissioners provided guidance on performance conditions likely required upon return: an opaque board-on-board fence (up to 8 feet), dense evergreen planting (arborvitae/thuja or similar), taller ornamental grasses, striped and numbered parking/storage spaces, a requirement that stored vehicles be registered (no junk/unlicensed vehicles), and an annual inspection regime to ensure compliance. The commission did not grant final approval and said no new outdoor storage permit will issue until the applicant provides the required easement approvals, an enforceable screening plan, and evidence of compliance at the owner’s other facility.