Suffolk City Council gave the green light for the construction of a new self-storage facility on Holland Rd. during the Wednesday, July 17 meeting. The request to establish the self-storage facility located on the 2100 block of Holland Rd. was approved unanimously.
The request, submitted by Melissa Venable, Founder and Principal Planner of Land Planning Solutions, proposed a three-story, 59,800 square feet facility that will have storage units accessed internally to the building with a parking and stormwater facility at the rear. The site will also be video monitored 24 hours a day, with the office open on Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
During his presentation, Director of Planning and Community Development Kevin Wyne detailed the planning staff’s evaluation of the ordinance.
“So staff has evaluated this against the guidance within the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and all applicable provisions established within the Unified Development Ordinance and we believe that, particularly use of this nature along Holland Rd, that does not generate an enormous amount of vehicular trips on a daily basis would be appropriate for this info parcel, and we are recommending its approval with the conditions noted in our report,” Wyne said.
Planning Commission also gave the ordinance a recommendation of approval during their June 18 meeting in a vote of 7 to 0.
Venable spoke in support of the ordinance.
“We believe that the option for a climate controlled self storage facility is a good transition use between the existing residential homes that face Fairfield Ave and the commercial along Holland Rd,” Venable said. “We understand that commercial development is being encouraged along this corridor, a climate controlled facility, which is proven to bring the least amount of traffic to a commercial site [and] will promote growth. Simultaneously, it’s likely that this might be the best and most quietest neighbor that we could find as a transition use from the residential on to the commercial that’s on Holland.”
There were no speakers in opposition to the ordinance. Council Member Timothy Johnson of the Holy Neck borough, says that Venable properly “painted the picture.” “With 58 being as a busy road as it is, and as much as it’s going on on that road, this is probably one of the best uses for this site at this time,” Johnson said. “So with that, I would like to approve.”
