Wethersfield, CT, Officials Enact Self-Storage Moratorium

Town officials in Wethersfield, Conn., last month imposed a 180-day moratorium on new applications for self-storage facilities. During the Sept. 11 meeting, they also agreed the ban could be extended another six months, according to the source.

Land-use officials claim the town is “saturated” with storage, said Wethersfield Town Planner Peter Gillespie. The temporary ban will allow them to consider “what we want to do or not do’’ with these projects, he said, adding that it’s the first development moratorium in his 14 years with the town.

The measure follows similar bans passed in other Connecticut cities. The Milford Planning and Zoning Board unanimously adopted changes to the city’s zoning regulations in August that restricts new self-storage development to the Housatonic Design District, a mixed-use industrial zone along the Housatonic River. Hartford also amended its zoning in recent years to limit storage to industrial zones after a multi-story facility was built in the historic Parkville community.

The regulations come as city officials express concerns about the number of storage developments in their communities. They also claim the facilities take up too much space in already densely populated areas and their positive economic impact is minimal, as they don’t provide employment opportunities or spur other development.

“We want Hartford to be an equitable, thriving, vibrant and sustainable city,’’ said Sara Bronin, chair of the city’s planning and zoning commission. “Self-storage facilities don’t help us achieve any of those goals.”

Source:
Hartford Business, Some CT Communities Put Self-Storage Facilities on Pause