Update 7/10/15 – Developer Pearl Street Commercial LLC revised the design for its self-storage project on Virginia Road prior to meeting with the city council this week. The changes eliminate the construction of nine storage buildings that would have been added to the property and instead expand the existing building earmarked for conversion, according to the source. The city council unanimously approved the changes.

July 10, 2015

5 Min Read
City Council Approves Self-Storage Conversion Project in Crystal Lake, IL

Update 7/10/15 – Developer Pearl Street Commercial LLC revised the design for its self-storage project on Virginia Road prior to meeting with the city council this week. The changes eliminate the construction of nine storage buildings that would have been added to the property and instead expand the existing building earmarked for conversion, according to the source. The city council unanimously approved the changes.

Schwartz’s new plan is to either increase the overall capacity of the single-story building to 91,598 square feet or create an even larger facility at 118,618 square feet by adding a mezzanine, the source reported. The original plan called for 67,574 square feet of combined space. Local demand will ultimately determine the full size of the facility, according to the developer.

Construction could begin within three months, according to Richter. A second phase of the project could include additional expansion and parking spots for vehicle storage, but those plans would need to be approved by the city, according to the source.

Once open, the self-storage facility will be managed by a third-party company, Schwartz said.

3/10/15 – The Crystal Lake, Ill., City Council unanimously approved the self-storage conversion project from developer Pearl Street Commercial LLC after reviewing revised architectural designs.

The new design altered the entrance off of South Virginia Street, added brick columns along the east side of the building, replaced the metal siding with faux brick, and changed the color pallet. Councilmember Ralph Dawson called the new look “totally acceptable” after describing the original design as “horrible” during a previous meeting, the source reported.

The rest of the overall project plan remains the same, according to the source. Pearl Street Commercial intends to open the converted lumber warehouse this year.

1/30/15 – The Crystal Lake, Ill., City Council unanimously approved the preliminary zoning petition from developer Pearl Street Commercial LLC on its proposed self-storage conversion of a former lumber warehouse but rejected a sign variance and asked to see revised architectural designs.

The planning and zoning commission had earlier rejected a sign variance, and the council denied the developer’s request for additional square footage for signage that will be posted at Dartmoor Drive and Virginia Road as well as Rakow and Virginia roads.

Pearl Street Commercial contended that self-storage is a retail-oriented business and should be allowed to have retail-sized signage, but the council largely rejected that notion. “It’s really not retail,” Mayor Aaron Shepley said. “This is not an impulse stop. No one’s going to say, ‘I’m on my home from work, honey. I think I’ll stop by the storage facility and see if they have any space.’ They’re going there because they want to go there and they have something to store.”

The variance was also opposed by Phil Murphy, owner of Next Door Self Storage, which operates several Illinois facilities including one in Crystal Lake. Murphy argued the Virginia Road facility should be held to the same standards as other storage businesses in the city, according to the source.

Council members also expressed concern about the facility’s appearance and asked for revised designs to be considered by the planning commission and city council when the developer returns for final approval.

“For all of this show ... you haven’t changed the front of that building other than color,” Council member Ralph Dawson said. “That is a horrible looking front building on Virginia [Road]. I cannot believe we can’t do something better than that. There’s no way I would approve this if you don’t come back with other architectural drawings. You’re not getting my vote.”

The developer also requested to change the wrought-iron-styled fence recommended by planners to chain link along Rakow Road and a multi-use trail that runs behind the building.

1/13/15 – Members of the Crystal Lake, Ill., Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend a self-storage conversion project proposed by real estate developer Pearl Street Commercial LLC. The project at 201 S. Virginia Road would convert a former lumber warehouse to self-storage and include new construction of nine smaller storage buildings. The city council will consider the commission’s recommendation on Jan. 20, according to the source.

The developer intends to convert the former Alexander Lumber building into 24,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage space. The structure would be configured to allow vehicles to drive through it. The nine smaller buildings would not have climate control. The remaining 6.3 acres would be subdivided for future development and could include outdoor vehicle storage, according to the source.

The proposal the city council will review includes a landscape plan and fewer parking spots than originally proposed. Landscaping could prove a challenge because the former lumber yard is mostly covered by impervious surfaces, the source reported.

In their recommendation, planners rejected the developer’s request for a sign variance. Pearl Street Commercial proposed to erect two free-standing signs on the east and south sides of the property to attract potential customers traveling on Virginia and Rakow roads, but both signs exceeded city limits of 6 feet high and 32 square feet, the source reported. In its proposal, Pearl Street Commercial argued self-storage is a retail-oriented business and should be allowed to have retail signage, according to James Richter, the city’s planning and economic development manager.

Pearl Street Commercial plans to open the facility this year.

Sources:

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