Boards And Commissions Planning Commission Planning Commission Public Hearing Self-Storage Facility Bylaw
| Planning Commission Public Hearing Self-Storage Facility Bylaw |
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Notice of Public Hearing Zoning Bylaws: The proposed amendments are generally described as follows: Statement of Purpose Section Headings Copies of the full text of the proposed amendments are available for review at the Weathersfield Town Office , the Weathersfield Proctor Library in Ascutney, Vermont and the Town’s website, www.weathersfieldvt.org. Persons wishing to be heard may do so in person, be represented by an agent, or may file written comments with the Commission prior to the hearing. Dated at Town of Weathersfield, Windsor County, State of Vermont, this 24th day of April, 2012. Ed Williams, Chair _________________________________________________________________________ Self-Storage Facility
Amend Section 4.3.2(f) Highway Commercial by adding to “Permitted Accessory Uses”:Self-Storage Facility ≤10,000 sq ft (Site plan Review; General/Special Provisions; Certificate of Occupancy) Amend Section 4.3.2(f) Highway Commercial by adding to “Permitted Principal Uses”: Amend Section 4.3.2(f) Highway Commercial by adding to “Conditional Principal Uses”: Amend Section 4.3.2(g) Industrial by adding to “Permitted Accessory Uses”: Amend Section 4.3.2(g) Industrial by adding to “Permitted Principal Uses”: Amend Section 7 Special Provisions by adding: Section 7.23 Self-Storage Facility • Wholesale or resale sales are prohibited at self-storage facilities. • Garage sales conducted by each lessee or renter are permitted. However, such activities by each lessee or renter shall not exceed three (3) consecutive days, nor more than twelve (12) total days in any calendar year. Sufficient off-street parking shall be provided to prevent on street parking. • Auctions conducted by the facility manager are allowed, but only when a tenant is in default of his/her lease agreement. • The storage of Hazardous Materials is prohibited. • This use is exempt from the requirements of section 6.14 of the Weathersfield Zoning Bylaws. • Residential provisions for on-site management are allowed as an accessory use subject to water/wastewater disposal accommodations. • In addition to storage buildings, a Self-Storage Facility may also include outdoor storage areas the total size of which shall not exceed 20% of the gross floor area of the facility’s storage buildings. Such storage areas shall be screened pursuant to the requirements of Section 7.8.5 of these Zoning Bylaws and shall meet the setback requirements for the zoning district in which the facility is located. Such areas are not to be considered “parking lots” or “parking areas”. Amend Section 8 Definitions by adding: Hazardous Materials: Those substances, materials, or agents in such quantity, state, and form as may constitute potential risk to the health and safety of the people and environment of the Town, and which may constitute a threat to property, including, without limitation, the following: explosives; radiative materials, etiologic agents, flammable materials, combustible materials, poisons, oxidizing or corrosive materials, and compressed gases. This shall also include any other materials listed as ‘hazardous’ by the Materials Transportation Bureau of the United States Department of Transportation, in Title 49 of the Code of Federal regulations, as amended, or those materials regulated pursuant to Title 10, Chapter 47, of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, or any other applicable Federal or State regulations. Self-Storage Facility: A building or group of buildings and associated external areas containing separate, individual, and private storage spaces available for lease or rent for the purpose of inactive storage only and which are not accessory structures to residential uses. __________________________________________________________________________ Planning Commission Reporting Form for Municipal Bylaw Amendments
Section 4.3.2(f) Highway Commercial Section 4.3.2(g) Industrial Sections 4.3.2(a)-(e) Village, Hamlet, RR1, RRR3-5, C10 Section 7.23 Self-Storage Facility Section 8 Definitions
This report is in accordance with 24 V.S.A. §4441(c) which states:
“When considering an amendment to a bylaw, the planning commission shall prepare and approve a written report on the proposal. A single report may be prepared so as to satisfy the requirements of this subsection concerning bylaw amendments and subsection 4384(c) of this title concerning plan amendments.…. The report shall provide(:)
(A) brief explanation of the proposed bylaw, amendment, or repeal and ….include a statement of purpose as required for notice under §4444 of this title,
Explanation of proposed amendment This amendment proposes to add a new use, Self-Storage Facility, to the array of allowed uses in the Highway Commercial and Industrial zoning districts. In the Highway Commercial zone, facilities greater than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area would be allowed with a conditional use permit, while those less than or equal to 10,000 square feet would be allowed by right. All such facilities would be allowed by right in the Industrial zone. A Certificate of Occupancy would be required for all facilities. This use would be prohibited in all other districts. The proposed amendment would add a definition of self-storage facilities and provide specific standards for their establishment and operation.
Statement of Purpose The Planning Commission acknowledges the need to include this type of land use in the zoning bylaws and to alleviate the need for applicants to appeal to the Zoning Board under the “Other Uses” provisions of the current bylaws.
Self-storage facilities are a common land use as evidenced by the number of such facilities in neighboring communities. Neighboring communities that have zoning all make provisions for this use in their bylaws.
(A)nd shall include findings regarding how the proposal:
The Planning Commission finds that the proposed amendment conforms to the following sections of the Weathersfield Town Plan: Section IV, B - Maintenance of Reasonable Taxes: (4) Encourage desirable commercial and industrial activities, which are cost effective and operate for the public good because it would take a very high tax rate to operate the Town and schools on residential property taxes alone. Section II - Future Land Use (page 50) Two prime considerations in determining desirable land uses are: “What can the land support?” and “What do the people want?”
The Planning Commission believes that self-storage facilities are a desirable land use because they require no water or sewer infrastructure and they generate very little traffic. The people appear to want this land use because two applications for them have already been submitted – one in Ascutney, the other in Perkinsville.
The proposal should have no effect on the availability of safe and affordable housing
This proposal is not incompatible with future land uses and densities of the Town Plan, because the larger facilities in the Highway Commercial zones must adhere to Conditional Use standards; in addition, all such facilities require site plan review and must adhere to special provisions.
There are no planned community facilities at this time. |
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