December 19, 2017

4 Min Read
2 Self-Storage Projects Proposed for Stratford, CT

Update 12/19/17 – The Stratford Zoning Commission has unanimously approved the self-storage component to the mixed-use project at 225 Lordship Blvd. The four-story structure will comprise 120,000 square feet of storage in 800 climate-controlled units and 18 “garage” spaces. The developers must include a “Welcome to the Town of Stratford” sign on the property because the commission deems the location a gateway from Interstate 95, according to the source.

Other stipulations include images promoting Stratford on the exterior of the building and signage directing people to the Watson Boulevard entrance. The facility will be 55 feet tall, with a gated entrance and 24 parking spaces. It’s near an I-95 exit and the airport.

The entire project will be completed in three phases, according to Raymond Rizio, an attorney representing the developer. The first will be the $10 million apartment complex, which is expected to be complete next spring. It’ll incorporate part of the old hotel structure, the source reported.

The self-storage structure will serve as a visual buffer between the apartment building and multiple industrial uses in the vicinity, Rizio said. It isn’t clear when the storage facility is scheduled for construction.

11/22/17 – The Stratford Planning Commission has recommended that a height variance be approved for the Urstadt self-storage project at 50-104 E. Main St. The three-story building would be 60 feet tall, which exceeds the allowable height in the zoning district. If approved, the facility would comprise 121,296 square feet in 839 units, according to the source.

The project would require several lots to be combined to create a 3.3-acre parcel. Phase one of the development would focus on the self-storage facility, while the second phase would include a coffee shop and restaurant, the source reported. Existing houses and other structures would need to be demolished.

In written comments, planning and zoning administrator Jay Habansky indicated the storage facility “should have the appearance of an office building or residential development,” since the site is considered a gateway to the city and the property is “highly visible” from Interstate 95.

A soil analysis still needs to be conducted where existing buildings stand along Sidney Street to check for contamination connected to waste from automotive-brake manufacturer Raymark Industries Inc., the source reported.

Raymark operated a 34-acre site at 75 E. Main St., where waste material was disposed at a minimum of 46 residential properties and numerous other commercial, recreational and municipal sites, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Wetlands were also affected. Contaminants included asbestos, copper, lead and polychlorinated biphenyls. Raymark ceased operation in 1989, and the Stratford Crossing Shopping Center was built on the Main Street site in the early 2000s.

Planners are also considering a self-storage project at 225 Lordship Blvd. The 4.7-acre site, which formerly housed a Ramada Inn and Stratford Hotel, has already been approved for a 69-unit apartment building. Property owner 225 Lordship Boulevard LLC intends to build a four-story storage facility comprising 120,000 square feet. The property could also include retail or restaurants in the future, according to the source.

The self-storage portion of the Lordship project has already received zoning variances for building height, minimal acreage and total number of structures. Habansky has indicated the self-storage building would serve as “a visual barrier” between an adjacent transfer station and the apartment complex.

10/12/17 – Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc., a self-administered equity real estate investment trust (REIT), is seeking to build a self-storage facility adjacent to the Dock Shopping Complex it owns in Stratford, Conn. The company has the land on Sidney Street under contract, but the development will require approval from town planners, according to the source.

The facility would comprise 120,000 square feet of storage space. Urstadt has yet to determine whether it would build and operate the facility itself or lease the land to another developer, CEO Wing Biddle told the source.

The 275,000-square-foot Dock Shopping Center, which currently houses a BJs Wholesale Club, is the second largest property in the Urstadt portfolio, the source reported. Its biggest is the Ridgeway Shopping Center in Stamford, Conn.

Urstadt already owns one self-storage facility in Yorktown Heights, N.Y., through a partnership with Extra Space Storage, a self-storage REIT and management company.

Based in Greenwich, Conn., Urstadt was founded in 1969. The firm owns, operates and develops retail shopping areas in communities surrounding New York City.

Sources:
CT Post: Greenwich Developer Plans New Facility in Stratford
StratfordStar.com: Self-Storage Facilities Up for Consideration
StratfordStar.com: Self-Storage Facility Approved by Zoners

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