The Town Council has started the process of prohibiting self-storage facilities in Watertown’s Zoning Ordinance.
The move came after the Town Council approved a zoning change relating to self-storage facilities in January.
At the hearing, which reduced the parking requirements from one spot per three storage units to one for every 10,000 sq. ft of gross floor area, some Councilors and several residents questioned whether this is the kind of business Watertown wants and where it should go.
The parking change amendment came from the Watertown Department of Economic Development and Planning but was first requested by the owners of 80 Elm Street – a location where plans for a self-storage facility may be brought forward.
On Feb. 13, Town Council President Mark Sideris proposed the zoning change to prohibit self storage in town.
A zoning change would first have to be considered by the Planning Board, which will hold a public hearing where residents and others can give their input on the amendment. Then the board can vote on the amendment. If approved, it would go back to the Town Council which must also have a public hearing before the zoning amendment can be voted on for final approval.
The agenda for the next Planning Board meeting (scheduled for March 19, 2018) has not been announced.
Town Council Splits on Zoning Change for Self Storage Facilities
Let’s see…town wants to not allow a self storage facility but is ok with a “pot” shop. I’ll understand the logic after my 6th beer…..
To be fair, the state statute does not allow towns to ban medical marijuana facilities.
Wasn’t 80 Elm Street the location of Atlantic Battery Company? Did they ever do a full cleanup there, it was an EPA super-hazard waste site.
Yes, the developer that was hoping to build a hotel on the site cleaned up the site.
Mrs DeMers,who grew up in Watertown, a Wisconsin town not much bigger than Oamaru, began writing to pen pals when she was year 5 in primary school. The people she wrote to lived in other cities also called Watertown across America.