Pompano Beach, FL, Officials Enact 6-Month Moratorium on New Self-Storage Development

Commissioners in Pompano Beach, Fla., unanimously approved a six-month moratorium on new self-storage development this week. No new applications will be accepted or permits issued. The move is part of a broader resistance to storage projects, according to the source.

Commissioners granted preliminary approval on the first reading of the ordinance at their Sept. 10 meeting. “This is long overdue. These are hulking buildings that occupy a great deal of space and employ a handful of people,” vice mayor Barry Moss said during the meeting.

During the cessation, city staff will develop zoning proposals to prevent clusters of self-storage in the area, which is already overbuilt, according to a report from a consulting firm retained by the city. There are 28 facilities in Pompano Beach, with many situated between Interstate 95 and Florida’s Turnpike. There are 21.7 square feet of self-storage for every resident when including existing and planned properties, the report states. That’s higher than in seven other South Florida cities, where the per-capita number ranges from 4.7 to 15.5 square feet.

The moratorium will likely have a limited impact because the area already has an excessive supply of storage, said Michael Mele, vice chairman of real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield and head of its national Self-Storage Advisory Group. “Nobody’s going to want to build with 20.7 square feet. The national average is 6 square feet per person,” he said.

Source:
The Real Deal, Hold Onto Your Stuff: Pompano Beach Suspends Self-Storage Development