Real estate developer Bayou Development Inc. has applied to rezone a vacant lot in Palm Harbor, Fla., to build a three-story self-storage facility. The company is proposing a Beyond Self Storage location for 4.93 acres at the corner of 9th Street and Missouri Avenue. Pinellas County, Fla., commissioners would need to change the zoning on two adjoining parcels from residential to light industrial as well as grant a conditional overlay for the project and land purchase to move forward, according to a source. The overlay would restrict uses on the property to self-storage or offices.

Residents near the site are opposed. Linda Block, who lives 600 feet from the property, believes the project would better serve the community along the U.S. Route 19 corridor, which is already zoned for commercial use. “I personally think that 25 homes, which is what it’s zoned for, is a much better option,” Block told the source.

Residents would also prefer to see a dog park or trail built on the site, which sits to the west of the Pinellas Trail and the highway. The proposal includes a 50-foot-wide buffer along the western property line, which would be used as a barrier from residences. No construction would occur within the buffer, though it could include drainage retention.

The property owners told a source they wanted to sell the land to the county for $1.2 million but couldn’t reach a deal during a two-year period. They believe the self-storage facility will fit the land perfectly.

County staff has recommended approval of the rezoning and overlay. County commissioners were scheduled to review the proposal this morning.

The listed applicant is JJ Jenkins, project manager for Beyond Self Storage parent company NorthPoint Development, which launched its multi-facility development initiative in February 2016. NorthPoint recently opened a facility in Maplewood, Minn., and also operates two Beyond Self Storage facilities in Chesterfield and McCausland, Mo., and Joco Self Storage in Overland Park, Kan.

Based in Riverside, Mo., and founded in 2012, NorthPoint is a development, management and leasing firm that’s principally focused on the industrial, multi-family, senior living and self-storage markets in the Central United States. The company has $2.1 billion in raised capital and operates 28 million square feet of industrial properties, thousands of multi-family apartment units, and numerous developed or managed senior-living communities.

Sources:
WFTS, Neighbors Concerned About Proposed Storage Facility in Palm Harbor
Pinellas County, County Commission Agenda