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When Daniel Contreras rounded out Buellton\u2019s five-member Planning Commission, one of his first goals was to help the city make better use of existing properties that become idle for one reason or another. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201c[We] have a lot of facilities and parcels that are just gathering dust at the moment, and we\u2019re not revitalizing those areas,\u201d he told the Sun in October. \u201cI think it\u2019s very important that we get to revitalize those areas before we go on to [develop] our open spaces.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Two months later, Contreras was part of the 4-0 vote (Planning Commissioner Shannon Reese was absent) to support a project that repurposes a 40,000-square-foot warehouse, formerly occupied by a local wine wholesaler, into a self-storage facility.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen this property vacant for some time. So, I\u2019m very happy that someone\u2019s able to get this property going and do something with it,\u201d Contreras said at the Planning Commission\u2019s Dec. 18 meeting. \u201cI\u2019m really happy to see that it\u2019s going to be utilized.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Located at 70 Industrial Way, the warehouse was built in 2004, more than a decade before Buellton adopted its architectural design guidelines. Other than Avenue of the Flags, which dictates that developers uphold Art Deco motifs, Buellton requires new developments to follow either Mission Revival or agrarian ranch-style designs.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThese are neither,\u201d Buellton Associate Planner Cara Miralles said about some modifications the project applicant proposed to add to the site. \u201cInstead they\u2019re going to complement the existing building. So, what we\u2019re asking is basically an exception \u2026 to the design guideline requirement.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n While the developer would divide the existing warehouse\u2019s interior space into 470 storage units, 44 additional drive-up storage units (about 8,800 square-feet in total) were proposed for the exterior. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBecause those are new, those are subject to the design guidelines,\u201d Miralles explained.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Planning Commission members agreed that it would be better for the new storage units to complement the existing character of the building, after a brief presentation from applicant Jacob Adler.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf we were to design them perfectly to your design standards, there would also be a mismatch between the existing facility and the new components coming in,\u201d said Adler, who added that he\u2019s owned the project site since August.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Before the purchase, the property was vacant for at least two years, Miralles told the Planning Commission. Its last occupant was Terravant Wine Company, aka Summerland Wine Brands.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs much as I would like to see things more unified throughout the city, in architectural style, I do understand why you guys are asking for these modifications,\u201d Commissioner Contreras told Adler, shortly before the commission approved the applicant\u2019s final development plan.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n