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Planning commission tables Route 7 self‑storage rezoning so public can review updated proffers
Summary
The commission voted to table a rezoning request for a proposed self‑storage facility on Route 7 after receiving revised proffers and a new generalized development plan during the meeting; commissioners left the public hearing open and asked that the item return at the commission’s second February meeting so the public can review the changes.
The Planning Commission agreed to table a rezoning application for a proposed self‑storage facility on Route 7 to allow time for the public to review revised proffers that were submitted the day of the meeting.
Planning staff explained the application would rezone a 2.38‑acre parcel from B‑1 (neighborhood business) to B‑2 (general business) and that the applicant amended the proffers to limit the site’s use to self‑storage, prohibit outdoor trailer storage and to add VDOT‑style turn lanes and acceleration/deceleration lanes along Route 7. The updated generalized development plan in the revised materials shows the storage buildings, a bridge over an on‑site stream and associated parking.
“Some of the positives of the application include that all B‑2 uses other than self‑storage have been restricted, and that use of self‑storage will generate significantly fewer trips than other B‑1 or B‑2 uses,” planning staff summarized during the presentation.
Neighbors who spoke at the meeting opposed the location, citing safety, lighting, noise, the height of a retaining wall and the proximity of homes and children to the proposed facility. Stephen Carter, a resident, told commissioners that 24‑hour access and vehicle traffic associated with self‑storage raised safety and quality‑of‑life concerns for the adjacent Pioneer Heights and Monroe Circle neighborhoods.
Because the applicant submitted revised proffers and an updated GDP the day of the meeting, the commission voted to hold the public hearing open and table the item to the commission’s second meeting in February to give residents a chance to review the new materials and provide additional comment. A roll‑call vote recorded unanimous support to table the application.
