ROCKFORD, IL — A measure that would push new self-storage facilities into industrial zones and make them more difficult to establish in commercial areas was rejected June 9 by a Rockford City Council committee.
Debate over whether to allow self-storage facilities to locate in traditionally commercial areas of Rockford has intensified as demand for retail and office space has cooled. But shutting self-storage facilities out of commercial zones would make the city too inflexible, Ald. Gabrielle Torina, D-5, said.
“I feel like this is going to hurt corridors that are ultimately going to need economic revitalization,” Torina said. “I think it removes our ability to approve things on a case-by-case basis.”
After heated debate last year, the City Council denied a special use permit that would have turned a former K-Mart on 15 acres at East State Street and Mulford Road into self storage with a park, open space and retail outlets.
But the council granted a special use permit for construction of a self-storage facility in the 5900 block of Columbia Parkway last week. Approval in an area with residential, commercial and industrial uses in close proximity came despite objections from some residents and Ald. Mark Bonne, D-14.
Self storage is allowed in industrial zones but only with a special use permit in general commercial zones or heavier highway commercial zones known as C-3 and C-4. It is not allowed in office or limited commercial zones known as C-1 and C-2. City officials removed the option of using a special use permit to place a self-storage facility in C-2 zones last year to reduce over-saturation. It was never allowed in C-1.
If the measure had been approved, developers proposing self storage would have had limited options. They would be forced to propose them in industrial zones, apply for a planned unit development in another zone or ask to have the zoning of an area changed to industrial, City Administrator Todd Cagnoni said.
“We have seen other municipalities pull back on the permissibility of residential storage warehouses in various zoning districts to control it,” Cagnoni said. “This has been a nationwide trend where we have seen residential storage warehouses going into locations that are more retail in nature rather than industrial.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Rockford committee rejects new limits on self-storage facilities
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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