Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Outdoor Storage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves outdoor vehicle-storage facility on Tamiami Trail with conditions
Summary
A special exception was approved for an outdoor vehicle, boat and RV storage lot at 15700 Tamiami Trail (approx. 2.3 acres) with conditions including a 6-foot opaque fence, paving, stormwater controls, no wash/dump stations and a three-year term.
The Board of Zoning Appeals approved petition SE-25-003 on April 9, authorizing the outdoor storage of commercial vehicles, boats, trailers and recreational vehicles on a roughly 2.3-acre vacant lot at 15700 Tamiami Trail in Punta Gorda, subject to staff-recommended conditions.
Elizabeth Nocek, senior planner, summarized the proposal and staff findings. The applicant’s concept shows approximately 74 outdoor storage spaces, a stabilized surface with shell or gravel, paved driveways, stormwater facilities, a 10-foot-wide type D buffer with a 6-foot opaque fence, gated keypad access, and CCTV surveillance. No buildings are proposed; the applicant stated the facility will be self-service with no on-site employees and no wash or dump stations. Staff concluded that, given the site’s location on a heavily traveled segment of Tamiami Trail with predominantly commercial and industrial nearby uses, the proposed outdoor storage could be compatible if built in compliance with paving, screening, landscape, and stormwater requirements.
Robin Palmer of Wyler Engineering, agent for the property owner, said the plan includes a well to support landscaping irrigation and that the design anticipates about 74 open-air storage spaces. Palmer emphasized minimal traffic generation and that the fence and landscaping would screen the use from the roadway.
Staff noted receipt of one adjacent-property email objecting to the petition; staff also observed some preliminary storage already on site and warned that existing unpermitted items must be removed or face code enforcement action. A board member moved to approve SE-25-003 incorporating all ten staff recommendations; the motion passed with board assent.
Next steps: the approval is subject to site-plan review, required permits, and implementation of the conditions (fencing, paving, stormwater controls and landscaping) before the storage use may commence.
