Ogden residents will have the opportunity to let members of the Town Board know how they feel about a proposed local law that would regulate and authorize self-storage facilities during a public hearing set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 13 at the Ogden Community Center.
Supervisor Gay Lenhard says local law No. 6-2013 proposes self-storage facilities as a conditional use in the Restricted Business District, Neighborhood Commercial District and General Commercial District zones of the town and would therefore be subject to review and approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The self-storage facilities are also listed conditional use in the Light Industrial District zone and also subject to review and approval of the Zoning Board of Appeals.
The local law also proposes to establish standards for development of self-storage facilities in all four zones.
“We want to find a way to do something good for the whole community while not hurting anyone,” she says.
Currently self-storage facilities are only permissible in a Light Industrial District zone.
Ogden resident Duane Gaul says he is adamantly against the change.
“I am appalled that they want to change the zoning code to allow self-storage shed businesses in Restricted Business, Neighborhood Commercial and General Commercial zones,” he tells the Suburban News.
He said he is researching the zoning code for self-storage buildings for each town in Monroe County. He has found Brighton allows wholesale storage and warehousing in the Light Industrial zone and Gates specifically excludes storage facilities from Multiple Residence, Business Non-Retail, and General Business zones.
“I suspect that almost all of the towns in Monroe County would only allow self-service storage buildings in Light Industrial or General Industrial zones,” Gaul says.
He adds that if the zoning code for self-storage is changed as planned, “then existing buildings could be repurposed to be used as self-storage buildings.”
Gaul lives along Route 31 near Washington Street and says back in 2011, a man who bought farmland between Route 31 and Route 531 sought to have the land rezoned in order to build 18 self-storage units, a law office and a daycare center. The request was withdrawn when, “our lawyer stated ‘spot re-zoning’ changes were not allowed,” Gaul says.
Lenhard also remembers the former re-zoning issue and says, “residents caught our attention with their concerns,” leading the town to take a detailed look at the situation.
She and Ogden Building Inspector Patrick Smith say the new law would be more restrictive than the current zoning code.
“We couldn’t do any better than the way it’s proposed,” Smith says, “it makes perfect sense (to make the self-storage units permissible in all four zones).”
Anyone proposing a self-storage facility would be subject to oversight from the Town Board and support boards – including public hearings – making the zoning more restrictive than before, according to Lenhard and Smith.
Currently, self-storage facilities in Light Industrial zones do not come under such oversight, Smith explains. If someone is granted a zoning change to Light Industrial in order to build mini-storage, they could then build whatever they want in the zone, he says.
There is a need for the change, Smith explains, as there are currently parcels in the town that would benefit from the new zoning regulations.
He says some residents may have concerns over certain issues regarding self-storage facilities, such as security and appearance, but under the proposed changes, residents could provide their input and express concerns during the review by boards and changes could be made to make a facility more pleasing in appearance, for example.
Lenhard points out that self storage businesses also must be concerned with security for the good of their customers.
“We’ve tightened up the zoning,” Supervisor Lenhard adds, “so we can protect both customers (of the storage facilities) and our residents.”
Lenhard outlined the process that would need to take place under the new code for someone applying to have mini storage in a specific location.
•Go to a Town Board work session to view the plan
•Town Board sends applicant to the Planning Board for concept and to see if it will work in the designated area
•Planning Board then sends a report to Town Board with their recommendation
•If all are in agreement, the Town Board sets a date for a public hearing regarding the appropriate re-zoning
•After positive rezoning, applicant returns to Planning Board at which time there would be another public hearing regarding the plan.
11/10/13
