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Commission signals preference to limit new self-storage to industrial zones; staff to draft code changes
Summary
After reviewing recent approvals and pending proposals, the commission leaned toward restricting self-storage to industrial zoning and asked staff to draft options (distance buffers, building-count limits, screening) for the next meeting.
The Planning Commission discussed recent self-storage proposals and site plans and signaled a preference to limit future mini-warehouse/self-storage facilities to industrial zoning districts, while asking staff to prepare draft code amendments for commission review.
Tommy Paradise reviewed current rules and recent activity: self-storage is allowed by special exception in General Commercial (GC) and Thoroughfare Commercial (TC) and permitted by right in Industrial (I). Since 2020 the city has approved three site plans for self-storage totaling 2,417 storage units and 292 canopy/boat-and-trailer spaces; Paradise noted an additional facility along East Martintown is in the county and not the city. He presented regulatory options for the commission, including requiring a minimum distance between self-storage facilities, increasing pervious-surface requirements, limiting the number of buildings on a parcel, adding architectural or screening requirements for road-facing facades, and restricting the use to TC and industrial or only industrial.
Commissioners expressed concern about clustering and over-saturation in commercial corridors and discussed keeping general commercial parcels available for higher-intensity retail uses. Several commissioners favored limiting self-storage to industrial zoning; one commissioner suggested also considering distance buffers if facilities remain allowed in TC. Commissioners discussed screening facades visible from main roads, maintaining setbacks, and using landscape buffers or longer entrance drives to reduce visual impacts.
The commission asked Paradise to prepare draft code language that would limit self-storage to industrial zoning (with an alternative that would allow TC subject to a minimum separation distance), include options for architectural/screening requirements for road-facing facades, and identify measurement methodology and any enforcement considerations. No immediate amendment was adopted; staff will return with draft language for the commission to review.
