The Leesburg Planning Commission on Dec. 19 recommended approval of a small-scale comprehensive plan amendment (SSCP24339) and a small planned unit development rezoning (SPUD24340) to allow a self-storage facility on roughly 6.52 acres near Hickory Hollow Road and County Road 44.

Staff described the proposal as indoor self storage with limited outdoor storage and one on-site manager's apartment; the application includes landscaping and architectural standards, a 15-foot landscape buffer, and a required 6-8 foot opaque fence where the site abuts residential properties. Staff recommended approval and noted one written objection from an adjacent property owner (Steve Clark) who raised concerns about property values, outdoor storage, and visual buffers.

Applicant Danica Oliverio (NV5) said the site plan includes an emergency-access road and that Variety Tree Road (a private-use roadway on the parcel) will be paved as part of the development; the applicant agreed to consider an access easement to guarantee neighboring access rights, and engineering counsel said an access easement could be recorded to secure access for adjacent owners. Neighbors raised concerns about wildlife, noise from interior air conditioning compressors, and night lighting; applicant representatives provided a natural-resource/species assessment and said no listed species were identified, that units would be interior and climate controlled, and that lights would be dark-sky compliant and the emergency gate would remain locked.

Commissioners moved and seconded motions to approve the SSCP and SPUD; roll-call votes recorded affirmative votes and each recommendation will be forwarded to the City Commission.