A proposal to build a self-storage facility on a 7-acre land parcel in Aurora, Ohio, was unanimously rejected by the planning commission last week. Aurora Partners II had requested a conditional zoning certificate to build 73,000-square-feet of self-storage units and 9,000 square feet of office/retail space on the south side of Route 82.

Commission members said they denied the request because the land is zoned commercial, and self-storage is only permitted in an industrial zoning district. The applicants contend that storage is not so different from current uses of adjacent property, and their facility would be more aesthetically pleasing. They say the land is not good for retail use because it does not front a major thoroughfare.

Land owners Harry Caplan and Joe Chiro are now considering an alternative plan to build a car-care facility. They can also appeal the planning commission's decision to City Council. If the Council does not overturn the decision, the property owners can take the matter to Portage County Common Pleas Court.

Caplan has suggested a possible sale of the land to the city, which could use it to expand the cemetery and service-center grounds. Mayor Lynn McGill said he'd be willing to negotiate, but noted the selling price would have to be reasonable."

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