By Jane Stewart for Arizona Builder’s Exchange
At their January 18 meeting, the City of Avondale’s Planning Commission heard presentations from applicant/architect Robert Lepore of RLepore Architecture, LLC to rezone three parcels of property, totaling 7.71 gross acres, located approximately 144 feet west of the NWC of Lower Buckeye Road and 4th Street.
The application is to rezone the parcels from the current MH (Manufactured Home Park) to A-1 (General Industrial) to accommodate a future recreational vehicle and mini-storage facility. The presentation also included the application of a Conditional Use Permit of the same area. For mini-storage facilities to be constructed in the A-1 zoning district, a CUP approval is required.
“The proposed development, which will be gated, features a combination of one- and two-story buildings containing self storage units, uncovered parking spaces sized to accommodate seasonal parking of unoccupied recreational vehicles, and a leasing office/caretaker’s quarters. With the exception of the RV parking, no outdoor storage will occur on the site.”
The project site is flanked by two frontage streets, Lower Buckeye Road to the south and Elm Lane to the north. Currently, the parcels are mostly vacant, with the exception of two existing single family residences on the north half and a closed former greyhound kennel facility on the south half.
Construction of the project will be completed in two phases. The first phase will take place on the south half of the site and “include construction of a leasing office/caretaker’s quarters adjacent to Lower Buckeye Road, four single-story self storage buildings, eight two-story self storage buildings, and 19 uncovered recreational vehicle parking spaces. It will also include all required improvements to Lower Buckeye Road and Elm Lane, undergrounding of power lines, construction of an 8-foot decorative screen wall enclosing the facility, and construction of a new emergency-only access to the site from Elm Lane. Two existing single family residences on the north portion of the subject site will be preserved in Phase 1; all other existing structures on the site will be demolished in this phase.”
The project’s full buildout, while preserving the Phase 1 improvements, will add “four additional two-story storage buildings, six additional single-story storage buildings, and 24 additional recreational vehicle parking spaces. Full buildout will also include the demolition of the two residences on the northern half of the property and extension of the perimeter wall to enclose the extent of the facility. In total, at full buildout, the development will include 128,650 square feet of indoor storage space, 43 RV parking spaces, and a 940 square foot leasing office/caretaker’s quarters.”
Off-site improvements to Lower Buckeye Road and Elm Lane will be the responsibility of the owner/developer, which “include construction of an additional westbound travel lane, curb, gutter, sidewalk, and streetlights in Lower Buckeye Road, and addition of streetlights along Elm Lane.”
The Planning Commission, at their January 18 meeting, moved to approve both the ordinance rezoning, as well as the request for the Conditional Use Permit, subject to conditions. The City Council concurred with the Planning Commission and made their approval at the February 20 meeting.
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