Saint Charles committee denies PUD amendment for 3-story Space Self Storage

The Saint Charles City Development Committee on Feb. 10 voted to deny a Planning Commission recommendation to amend a planned unit development (PUD) to permit a three-story, 121,000-square-foot Space Self Storage facility at the northwest corner of West Main Street and Cardinal Drive.

The committee rejected the PUD amendment after multiple members said the proposed building’s gross floor area and massing—above the underlying zoning’s per-building 75,000-square-foot limit—were incompatible with adjacent single-family neighborhoods including Anthem Heights. The Planning Commission had recommended approval 4–2 with four conditions intended to reduce neighborhood impacts.

City staff opened the item by describing the site and the applicant’s filings. The applicant, St. Charles SS LLC, asked for a PUD amendment and preliminary plan to build an all‑indoor, climate‑controlled storage facility. Dennis Lindell, attorney for the petitioner, told the committee that traffic from the proposed facility would be minimal and that most rentals happen online. "On average, you're looking at no more than 30 customers a month," Lindell said, citing a letter from a national operator included with the petition.

Project team members described plan changes made after the Planning Commission review. Bob Walker, the site engineer with Bongo Consulting, said the building was rotated to increase setback from Woodward, and that the applicant added landscaping berms and evergreen screening, removed some north‑facing windows and reduced north‑end lighting to lessen impacts on Anthem Heights. The applicant also proposed a secondary access drive off Cardinal Drive to reduce traffic on Woodward and to provide turnaround for emergency vehicles; staff noted that the Cardinal driveway would need to be shifted about 15 feet to meet required intersection separation.

Applicant representatives defended the project size as an economic necessity. Houssein Waseem, identified as the Director of Investments for Space, said the proposed square footage and three‑story design are needed to deliver a Class A, fully enclosed storage product with premium features. "We need that little bit of size to provide the return for our investors," Waseem said.

Several committee members said they supported the use in principle but opposed the scale. Committee members pressed whether the building could be reduced in height or sunk partially below grade, and whether a smaller footprint would force the operator to add outdoor storage. Shreyas Patel, president of Space Self Storage, responded that construction methods to lower visible height would substantially increase cost and change project economics.

Committee members also cited zoning technicalities. Staff explained the PUD contains a gross floor area allowance for the entire PUD and that the underlying zoning imposes a separate per‑building gross floor area limit of 75,000 square feet. "The ordinance states that it can't be more than 75,000 square feet," a committee member said when pressing the point.

After discussion, a committee member moved to deny the Planning Commission recommendation; another member seconded the motion. The motion to deny carried on roll call. (The meeting transcript records the motion and that the motion to deny passed; specific roll‑call tallies and individual votes are recorded in the official minutes.)

In closing, committee members urged the applicant to continue working with staff to identify alternative sites within the applicant’s target three‑mile market area or to refine the proposal to reduce massing and visual impact. "We would love to have you guys in Saint Charles," Chairman Lincolnton said. "It just looks like this doesn't fit how it is. But, if we can be helpful, please let us know."