Self-storage developer Edmund Lane, operating as Route 304 LLC, has received site-plan approval from the Orangetown, N.Y., Planning Board for a controversial self-storage development known as the Hillside Commercial Park project. Lane has pursued his plan to build self-storage on a 10-acre site in the Pearl River neighborhood for the past decade but has faced stiff residential opposition, according to the source.
The development site is between Railroad Avenue and Route 304. It’s a vacant area consisting of mature trees and wetlands, and bordered by commercial and industrial businesses. Lane intends to divide the 10 acres into two parcels, with half dedicated to traditional self-storage and the other portion designated for larger storage services designed for commercial, industrial and warehouse uses, according to the source. The project meets the zoning requirements in the district.
Those who oppose the project created the Residents United to Save Hillside (RUSH) neighborhood group, which has vowed to file objections and possibly lawsuits against Lane and Orangetown to stall or curtail plans, the source reported. RUSH members have described the project as an “environmental disaster” and expressed concerns over possible increased flooding in the area, the effect of 24-hour lighting, potential storage of hazardous materials and the elimination of an animal habitat.
Lane must still adjust his plan to meet requirements from the zoning board of appeals, make changes required by the planning board and obtain building permits. Even still, construction could begin sometime this year, the source reported.
Sources:
- Rockland County Times: Pearl River Storage Facility Moves Forward; Area Residents Mount Offensive