Update 8/12/16 – The Merrillville Town Council has tabled the Haddadin self-storage proposal for 7525 Taft St. to give the developers, community and city officials time to gather more information. Several of the two-dozen condo residents who opposed the project during a recent BZA meeting were in attendance, according to the source.

"We want to see a plan to know what it will look like,” Peterson told the council. “We'd like a privacy fence there and would hope the units would be kept to one story. We'd also like landscaping on the back side, too, which is facing the condos."

Sullivan also noted there are nine self-storage facilities within a 4.4-mile radius of the Taft property.

"It sounds like there are unanswered questions and a lot of paperwork needed,” councilmember Jeffrey Minchuk said during the meeting. “I ask that this be tabled until all the questions are answered, we can see the paperwork and everyone can sit down and discuss the plans."

8/3/16 – The Merrillville, Ill., Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) voted last week to offer no recommendation to the town council for a proposed self-storage development after two dozen residents voiced their objections to the project. Three BZA members voted on July 29 to give no recommendation while another said he’s against the development entirely, according to the source.

Rami and Ghassan Haddadin are seeking approval to build 200 storage units in the 7500 block of Taft Street, which is near Brookstone Estates Condominiums. The Haddadins have agreed to meet with condo residents to discuss the project, according to Milton Peterson, the condo developer. "We may be able to work something out. We want development there that adds to the neighborhood, not detracts from it," he said.

Rami Haddadin, who purchased the 2.8-acre property five years ago, said the project would cost about $1 million. The facility would feature an office, fencing and landscaping. Renderings of the development weren’t available during the meeting.

Residents who oppose the plan said they don’t need additional storage. They also voiced concerns about increased traffic on Taft Street, how the facility would affect their property values and if it would be an eyesore.

Ron Sullivan, president of the Brookstone Estates Homeowners’ Association, called the 120-unit Brookstone complex a “gem in the community.” “Half the people don't know we exist there," he said.

Board member Robert Bigelow also questioned if drainage issues would need to be addressed at a later date.

The permitted uses under the area’s current zoning include a laundromat, liquor store, hotel and office buildings, said BZA President Tim Fortier. "Some other uses might be less attractive. It's a fine line.”

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