Planning committee recommends regulation of temporary residential storage units, flags $100 fee

The Town of Middletown Planning Committee recommended that the Town Council adopt an ordinance to regulate temporary storage units on residential properties but recorded concern about a proposed $100 permit fee being considered by the council.

The draft ordinance would permit a single temporary storage unit no larger than 8-by-20 feet on residential property, limit consecutive placement to 120 days and a total of 180 days per calendar year, and require placement on paved surfaces where practicable without impeding fire lanes or loading zones. The draft also exempts containers/trailers placed on active construction sites under a valid building permit.

Committee members voiced support for a permitting system to address neighbor complaints about long-term placement of pods but opposed charging residents a $100 fee without documentation justifying that amount. One planning member said the fee must be proportional to administrative costs and suggested the Town Council carefully review any proposed fee schedule. The board voted to provide a positive recommendation under R.I. General Law section 45-24-52 with an express reservation that the planning committee has concerns about the recommended fee.

Why it matters: the ordinance would create an enforcement mechanism for temporary storage units that currently lack clear local regulation, addressing neighbor complaints while exempting units used directly for permitted construction activity.

The committee asked staff to forward the ordinance, the committee's recommendation and the fee concern to the Town Council for its consideration.