By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – The Howard Plan Commission recommended Monday, Jan. 21, that the village board establish new conditional use standards for mini-warehousing, also known as self-storage units.
The proposed new standards for the I-3 Industrial Park Light Industry and the I-4 Industrial Park Heavy Industry zoning districts were developed after months of discussion and revisions.
Last June, commission members favored amending the village code to no longer allow mini-warehouses being built in an I-1 General Industrial zoning district, a restriction now part of the village code, but held off updating the standards for I-3 and I-4 areas for further review.
Village Director of Community Development Dave Wiese has been going through proposed zoning amendments with the commission in response to a change in state law affecting municipalities when they consider conditional use permit applications.
In the industrial districts where most mini-warehousing and storage units have been located in Howard, Wiese previously informed the Plan Commission that a conditional use permit can no longer be denied under the change in state law unless a “reasonable standard” is in place.
The standards for mini-warehousing being recommended for approval by the village board at its Jan. 28 meeting would not allow self-storage facilities to be built along Taylor Street, Glendale Avenue, Lineville Road, Cardinal Lane, Riverview Drive, Interstate 41 and State Highway 29 and/or adjacent frontage roads.
The allowed activities in a self-storage unit would be rental of the unit and pickup and deposit of goods and/or property in storage.
Storage units would not be able to be used for residences, offices, workshops, studios, hobby or rehearsal areas, etc.
Retail sales of any kind, including garage or estate sale or auctions or to conduct any kind of commercial activity, would be forbidden in the units. Storage of flammable, perishable or hazardous materials or the keeping of animals would also not be allowed.
The rental of trucks, trailers or moving equipment would be prohibited unless approved as part of the conditional use permit process.
Self-service storage facilities adjacent to residential zones could not operate or allow tenant access between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The outdoor storage of boats, recreational vehicles, vehicles, etc., would be prohibited with all goods and property required to be stored in a self-service storage facility in an enclosed building. Storage in outdoor storage pods or shipping containers would not be permitted.
The proposed standards for mini-warehouses also spell out permissible exterior vertical surfaces and building colors, etc.
No electrical outlets would be permitted inside or outside for individual storage units.
All areas intended for driving, parking and loading would be required to be paved with asphalt or concrete.
However, commission members decided against requiring fences or walls around self-storage facilities and struck out that wording from the proposed ordinance amendment.
Commission members agreed to leave it up to the developer as to whether to include a fence or wall, such as for security purposes.
“The problem you got with trying to make people put a fence around it is you got so many of those right now that don’t have fences,” said Village President Burt McIntyre.
After commission members discussed whether to encourage fencing or include that in the village code as an option, McIntyre said he would be against putting that wording in an ordinance because it wouldn’t be enforceable.