Update 12/15/16 – The city council has approved the Tri-Village Self Storage project on Village Park Drive, despite some lingering concerns about the size of the building. The final development plan calls for an 88,000-square-foot structure on 3 acres, whereas earlier reports indicated 86,000 square feet on 2 acres.

December 15, 2016

3 Min Read
Tri-Village Self Storage Project Approved for Powell, OH

Update 12/15/16 – The city council has approved the Tri-Village Self Storage project on Village Park Drive, despite some lingering concerns about the size of the building. The final development plan calls for an 88,000-square-foot structure on 3 acres, whereas earlier reports indicated 86,000 square feet on 2 acres.

Resident Leif Carlson spoke against the project during the Dec. 6 meeting, arguing the size of the facility continued a bad precedent in the city. "It's another three-story building," he told the council. "It's changing the landscape with all the three-story buildings going up in Powell."

Wollenberg countered that the structure would fit in with the community aesthetically and be a “very quiet use.” She also said a market study indicated strong local demand for more self-storage, according to the source.

Brendan Newcomb was the lone councilmember to vote against the development plan.

9/23/16 – Tri-Village received approval from the planning and zoning commission last week despite lingering concerns from some panel members about the facility’s size. The commission unanimously voted on Sept. 14 to approve the preliminary development plan. Boysko recused himself from the discussion and vote, according to the source.

Prior to voting, several board members reiterated their concerns about the height and size of the facility footprint. "I think you've done a lot with it. I still think it's an awfully large building,” Jester said.

The building size is in line with its neighbors, which include an apartment complex and another self-storage facility, said Melanie Wollenberg, an executive vice president with Brexton. "We're really not out of scale with this neighborhood," she said.

Although Emerick noted he still had concerns about the “overall massing of the building,” commission members Richard Fusch and Trent Hartranft said they were fine with the current development plan. Commission member Bill Little asked Brexton for more information on the proposed lighting and signage for the property before the panel votes on the final plans.

7/22/16 Real estate developer Brexton LLC intends to build an 86,000-square-foot self-storage facility in Powell, Ohio, on behalf of Tri-Village Self Storage. Brexton has proposed a three-story building on a 2-acre lot on Village Park Drive. The planning and zoning commission discussed the project last week and postponed a vote pending an opinion on the size of the facility from the city’s law director, according to the source.

City regulations limit retail and wholesale businesses from being more than 65,000 square feet, but the legislation doesn’t specifically mention self-storage, development director Dave Betz said during the meeting.

Chris Meyers, the city’s architectural adviser, supports the project. "I think it's an appropriate use for its location," he said. "It's kind of nestled back deep into the property and across the railroad tracks [near] another storage building."

Although Powell Village Self Storage is across the street from the proposed site, commissioners appeared to be more concerned with the size of the facility than its proximity to a competing business. "I'll be very blunt; I think the building is too big, [and] I think it's too tall," commissioner Joe Jester said during the meeting. "Three stories is too much."

Commission chair Donald Emerick said his main issue with the project also is the size of the facility and encouraged other commissioners to think about the proposal while waiting for an opinion from the city law director, the source reported.

The proposed site, between Clairedan Drive and Penny Lane, is owned by Rood Family Limited Partnership.

Commissioner Shawn Boysko, the architect who designed the facility, has recused himself from the board’s discussion and vote, according to the source.

Tri-Village operates two self-storage facilities in Columbus, Ohio, with two other projects under development.

Founded in Columbus in 2001, Brexton specializes in commercial real estate development and construction with a focus on manufacturing, medical, office, warehouse and other building types, including self-storage.

Sources:

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