Officials in Coral Springs, Florida, this week will consider whether to allow self-storage in the city’s Neighborhood Business Zoning District (NBZD) under conditional use. Currently, facilities are only permitted in the interior of Corporate Park, not directly on Coral Ridge Drive or Sample Road, according to the source.

The zoning constraint is limiting the community’s access to self-storage, Katie Edwards-Walpole, an attorney with Becker & Poliakoff, wrote in a letter to the commission. She also cited a 2020 study that states 64 percent of people want a storage facility close to their home.

City staff have recommended the commission deny the zoning request, calling self-storage a “heavy industrial business.” They further noted that only 2.53 acres of undeveloped land are left in the NBZD, and it should be preserved for a business that’ll provide better economic opportunity. Businesses typically permitted in this zone, such as convenience stores, serve as a buffer between neighborhoods and commercial districts.

“It is in the best interest of the city to focus on development that will generate the highest value and maximize productivity,” Kristi J. Barlett, director of economic development, wrote in a letter. “A self-storage facility has limited job creation and is unsuitable in this zoning district.”

Of the 16 nearby cities, 14 don’t allow self-storage in the NBZD. Tamarac and Weston, Florida, permit it with special exceptions.

Coral Springs has approved two storage developments in the NBZD in recent years. Safe and Secure Self-Storage was constructed along Coral Ridge Drive and Northwest 41st Street in 2018. Last year, the commission also allowed construction of the three-story Coral Spring Self Storage at 3567 Northwest 124th Ave.

Source:
Coral Springs Talk, Coral Springs Commission to Consider Self-Storage Expansion