Bluebird Self Storage scored a partial victory this week when the Scarborough, Maine, Town Council approved one of two zoning requests regarding a facility the operator wishes to build in the Enterprise Business Park on Haigis Parkway. Though the council approved a change that will allow self-storage to be developed on the street in general, it voted against changing the zoning map to allow building on a specific lot facing U.S. Route 1. Bluebird seeks to build a 100,000-square-foot facility on the property, according to the source.

Though Bluebird wants to build its facility facing Route 1, the property isn’t accessible from the highway. The re-mapping request would have altered the zoning from a general business district to the Haigis Parkway District, which is where the council approved self-storage as a use. Councilmembers voted 5-1 in favor of allowing storage in the district but denied the map change 5-2.

Jason Vafiades, an engineer with Atlantic Resource Consultants, who was in attendance as a representative for business park owner David Miley, told the council Bluebird is interested specifically in the lot facing Route 1 and may not consider another parcel in the park.

The proposal is for a climate-controlled facility that would be designed to fit in with area businesses, the source reported. Karen Martin, executive director of the Scarborough Economic Development Corp., told the council the project was a “different animal” from traditional self-storage developments.

Bluebird operates four self-storage facilities in New Hampshire.

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