The Yolo County, Calif., Planning Commission unanimously approved a special-use permit on April 13 to allow developer Jim Donovan of WoodYard LLC to build a self-storage facility on the site of the former Metro Auto Wrecking Yard. The 8.8-acre site on County Road 102 (CR 102) is on the border of Woodland, Calif. County Road Storage will comprise up to 180,000 square feet, with construction expected to begin by August, according to a press release.
For more than 70 years, the site was home to the auto-wrecking yard, which one commissioner referred to as an “eyesore.” Donovan worked closely with senior planner Stephanie Cormier on a hazardous-waste remediation plan and to ensure the project would fit in with “surrounding uses and community needs,” the release stated. The project required “significant” environmental engineering and testing, and the remediation plan was recently approved by the California Water Board, WoodYard officials said.
The wrecking yard predated county zoning and had been a grandfathered use. The self-storage project required a special-use permit to move forward.
The property is in an area undergoing commercial and residential development. Spring Lake, a master-planned community of more than 4,000 residences, is on the west side of CR 102, while the Woodland Gateway retail center is on the east side. The retail development is adjacent to Interstate 5 and is anchored by Costco and Target.
