Board approves special exception to allow storage complex to exceed 15,000 sq ft

The Portage County Board of Adjustment voted April 20 to approve a special-exception request that allows Parts A1 Storage 2 LLC to construct mini-warehouse buildings on property zoned C-3 that would take the site over the 15,000-square-foot threshold.

The decision followed a staff presentation and testimony from the applicant and planning staff. The board’s motion approved petition PET-2026-004 with four conditions: obtain a Portage County zoning permit; zoning permits may be issued for additional buildings beyond the special-exception expiration subject to applicable ordinances; submit and receive approval of a landscaping plan with vegetative screening along property lines adjacent to residences; and require any proposed lighting to be downcast so it does not shine on neighboring properties.

Planning staff told the board the property already has an approved stormwater plan and was rezoned to C-3 in 2022; staff recommended approval with the listed conditions. The applicant (speaker 10) said previous construction of a small number of storage buildings had inadvertently pushed the total square footage above the 15,000-square-foot threshold and that design, stormwater work and engineering were in place for the site.

Board members asked whether future building phases would require returning to the board. Staff explained that the recommended condition would allow the applicant to apply for zoning permits for additional buildings without having to seek a new special exception for each incremental building, provided those permits met the county’s standards at the time of application. The board recorded a roll-call vote after a second and the chair announced the petition approved.

The board’s written decision and conditions will be filed in the Portage County Planning and Zoning Office, and the 30-day appeal window begins when that decision is filed.