HomeMy WebLinkAboutWRITTEN RESPONSE - 08-00205 - Development Code Amendment - Road Standards & Storage UnitsBlair Kay
I Ole Dunn [okdunn@hotmail.com]
Soar. Thursday, May 15, 20084:00 PM
To: Blair Kay
Subject: AMENDMENTS TO ALL COMMERCIAL ZONES AND INDUSTRIAL USE
Dear Rexburg City Council Members,
I am writing concerning a proposed amendment to eliminate building storage units in Commercial zones and limiting their
erection to Industrial Zones. I have been carefully purchasing properties located along Hwy 33 and 1200 West, with the
intent of building storage units to serve the developing needs of new residents, new high school growth, sand dune
oriented users and construction companies, all who will need this type of facility.
This wasn't done on a whim. I am approaching retirement age and have planned on developing this type of facility so I
could create a way of supplementing my social security.
I searched out the need for this type of facility in Rexburg and found there to be a great need in this area. If building
this type of business is limited to Industrial Zoning only, it appears to be a deviation from what has been approved in the
past as I can find No Storage Units currently built in Industrial Zones. Furthermore Industrial Zones are limited to a few
sites on the outskirts of the city and a few small strips running through the middle of the City that are interspersed with
Medium and Low Density Residential properties.
Eliminating this usage from commercial zoning would seriously affect my long term goals and plans, which I feel would
benefit this developing area of town. If this change is adopted the only other solution would be to request this
property be rezoned to Industrial. This would, to a degree, be determined by what happens to the land south and east of
my properties. It is impossible, at this time, to predict the type of developments that will occur on those parcels.
I #ncerns are that this may not be the most beneficial direction for the City to take, !e eliminating ALL storage type
unus from commercial zones.
Please read this letter at the public hearing. I thank you in advance for your thoughtful consideration of this matter.
I remain sincerely yours,
Ole D. Dunn
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Memo
To: Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission
From: Department of Planning and Zoning
Date: 5/15/2008
Re: Proposed amendment to Development Code- Storage Units
Members of the Planning and Zoning Commission,
u aexevgc
� d CITY OF
REXBURG
Ameriui F'mmy C.ommuNry
Planning staff has provided the following questions that might be considered and may help the
Commission in drafting findings in relation to a decision on the proposed amendment.
Questions that the Commission might consider:
1) Is this use of mini -storage, or self-service storage facilities, consistent with the intent of
Commercial zones and with established design standards?
a. The Community Business Center (CBC) is the City's standard commercial zoning
classification and does encompass the majority of commercial land available within the
City. In the CBC's section on purposes and objectives (Section 3.17.010) it states that,
"uses permitted in the CBC zone will be characterized by a junior department store and a
supermarket as anchors, and by a wide range of restaurants, specialty shops and hard
goods or soft goods stores." The CBC zone and other zones are designed for commercial
trade, not necessarily storage.
b. It has been difficult and seen by some as unreasonable to apply our design standards to
these buildings. Builders have seen the design standards as unreasonable because the
buildings are not intended to draw people in and shop, but rather are used to only store
items. Large expanses of buildings are required for the use.
c. Onsite management- Storage units often do not have onsite management which
increases the likelihood of potential nuisances, such as noise, litter, traffic, etc.
d. Twenty-four hour access with key codes for renters can cause compatibility issues with
adjacent property, especially residential, and mixed-use (commercial and residential in
the same building or site). Noise generation in the middle of the night can be excessive
with the loading and unloading of items to be stored.
2) Would the City still provide opportunities for storage units to operate within the City limits?
a. Yes, in the industrial zones. We have storage units being reviewed for the over in the
Airport Industrial park. Other uses in the industrial park currently include a gymnastics
center, electric wholesale, etc.
b. Elimination of a use does not eliminate all economic benefit a person may derive from
ownership of property. There are still a wide range of uses allowed that give property
value.
3) Can mini -storage units be brought back in to commercial zones in the future?
a. The City may find design standards (architectural and site plan) that are applicable in the
future.
b. More property in the City may be re -zoned to Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial, which
would allow more opportunity for storage unit.
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