By Sammy Williams for AZBEX
Aspirant Development of Scottsdale is banking on the Uptown Phoenix revitalization boom with the announcement a 650-unit self storage facility. Uptown 7th Self Storage will be located at 6316 N. 7th Street, on the SWC of 7th Street and Maryland Avenue.
The facility consists of a single building, two stories above grade and one story below, with access exclusively from inside of the building and a gated entry. Each floor will be roughly 40KSF and a leasing office within the building will manage the facility.
Uptown 7th Self Storage will occupy a 2.09-acre space that is currently zoned as residential. With that in mind, the developer states that, “in order to provide a greater buffer between the adjacent residential uses and the proposed self-service storage facility, the applicant has agreed to provide an increased building setback along the western boundary of the site, and increased landscape setbacks along the western and northern boundaries of the site.”
In addition, City of Phoenix is recommending a stipulation that, “all exterior lighting be fully shielded and directed away from adjacent residential lots and that there be no exterior-loaded storage units facing the adjacent residential lots.”
The subject site is currently utilized as a single-family residence. The City of Phoenix General Plan Land Use Map designation for the site is mixed, with residential (3.5 to 5 DU/AC) for the western third of the property and commercial for the eastern two-thirds of the property. While the proposal is not consistent with the residential designation portion, a General Plan Amendment is not required as the site is less than 10 acres in size.
According to the application, “self-service storage warehouse is an allowed use subject to a Special Permit under these conditions:
- All storage to occur in a closed building and there are limits on outside storage.
- No Auctions, sales, service or repair facilities shall be conducted on the premises.
- No storage or use of hazardous or dangerous materials on the premises.
- Direct access to a freeway or arterial street is required.
- May not be combined with a household moving center.”
The applicant has agreed to comply with all the above conditions for the special permit and has taken care to address community concerns. For example, the proposed elevations, “do not contain windows or access points adjacent to the neighboring residential communities. The elevations contain a number of exterior materials and detailing to provide visual interest.”