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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2nd Hearing 105 CUP 23 Star Valley Shipping Container Storage1 APPLICANTS: Emmett Mavy PROJECT NAME: Star Valley Shipping Container Storage COMMUNITY PLAN AREA: Thayne ZONING: Rural PLANNER: Robert C. Davis PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: The Planning & Zoning Commission did not provide a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners for File #105 CUP 23 because of the lack any motion for approval or denial. PLANNING STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Planning staff recommended the Planning & Zoning Commission send a recommendation of APPROVAL to the Board of County Commissioners for File #105 CUP 23, a proposal to establish a commercial storage facility comprising 162 shipping containers on Amended Lot 3 a portion of a 5.479-acre lot in the White Tail Meadows Subdivision 2nd Filing Amended. The subject property is located in the Rural zone. Findings of Approval A through F. Conditions of Approval 1 through 10. FINDINGS OF APPROVAL: A. The proposal is consistent with the provisions of W.S. 18-5- 201 et seq. authorizing counties to regulate construction of buildings and the use of land through comprehensive planning including zoning. B. The proposal is consistent with goals and objectives of the Lincoln County Comprehensive Plan, including: 1. Section IV Land Use Objective 1. Create Land Use Regulations that promote the responsible and orderly development of Lincoln County; C. The proposal is consistent with the standards and procedures of these Lincoln County Land Use Regulations, including: 1.. Chapter 3.1 Conditional Use Permit Procedures. D. The proposal is consistent with the land use table for White Tail Meadows Subdivision Plat 2nd Filing Amended which allows commercial and residential uses on Amended Lot 3. E. The conditional use will not substantially impair the appropriate use of neighboring property; and will serve the public need, convenience and welfare. F. The conditional use is designed to be compatible with adjacent land uses and the area of its location. LINCOLN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS STAFF REPORT CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT HEARING TIME AND DATE: 1st HEARING 10:00 AM., SEPTEMBER 6, 2023 2nd HEARING 10:00 AM., May 8, 2024 HEARING LOCATIONS: LINCOLN COUNTY COURTHOUSE, KEMMERER, WYOMING & VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE AT AFTON BRANCH OFFICE FILE # 105 CUP 23 2 CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: 1. Alteration of the project shall require additional permitting. 2. Exterior lighting shall comply with Lincoln County Land Use Regulations Section 6.10 Lighting in order to minimize fugitive light, including the provision that the outdoor/exterior lights be hooded in design with no light source extending below the hood. 3. Commercial Buildings fall under the jurisdiction of the Wyoming Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety and will require a plan review. 4. The contents of the storage units should be limited to non-combustible materials unless otherwise allowed by the Wyoming Dept. of Fire Prevention & Electrical Safety. 5. All buildings shall fit within the applicable code requirements for Group S-1 in current International Building Code (IBC). Units shall have no pervious surface inside the structure. 6. Landscaping shall be provided on the west and south sides of the property as per Chapter 6.4 (E) where tree clusters shall consist of three or more trees at least four feet tall planted at intervals sufficient to buffer the project. Heavier evergreen trees will be provided as a visual screen to the two residential uses located roughly 100 feet and 450 feet west respectively of the subject property. 7. Driveways shall be designed to provide site distance of the driver's view of the roadway and shall be free of vegetation or other obstructions which may impair the view of on-coming traffic. 8. The applicant shall provide a dimensional drawing of the proposed sign, the type of sign and its location of the site. Signage shall conform to the requirements of Appendix G of the Land Use Regulations. Conditions added by Staff after August 23rd Planning and Zoning Commission meeting: 9. Fawn Lane be brought up to County Road width standards of two 12-foot travel lanes and two one-foot shoulders. 10. Provide a soils report as to whether the land can sustain this container project. ___________________________________________________________________________ PROPOSAL: To establish a commercial storage facility comprising 162 shipping containers with 112 units being 8 feet wide, 40 feet long, and 10 feet tall and 50 units being 8 feet wide, 20 feet long, and 9 feet tall located on approximately 2.2-to-2.3-acre portion of a 5.479-acre lot in the Rural zone. One hundred fifty units will be located within the 2.2-to-2.3-acre and the other existing 12 units (currently personal use) will be located north of the proposed storage unit area situated adjacent to the existing residential use. The applicant requests these existing 12 units be approved with this proposal as they may be rented in the future. The property is located approximately .75 miles north of the Town of Thayne, WY. EXHIBITS: A. Applicants’ application and site plan B. Vicinity Maps C. Recommended Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law D. Letters of Opposition ____________________________________________________________________________ 3 BACKGROUND: The White Tail Meadows Subdivision was approved in June 2017 for two lots of residential/commercial uses. A Zoning and Development Permit #511 ZD 20 for a large storage facility currently being constructed on Amended Lot 4 directly east of the subject property was approved in July 2020. The White Tail Meadows 2nd Filing was approved in June 2021 for three lots of residential/commercial uses. The White Tail Meadows 2nd Filing Amended – a boundary line adjustment, was approved in May 2023. The site is surrounded by residential vacant land to the north and south which are zoned Rural. Residential uses in a Rural zone exists to the west and commercial storage to the east exists in a Rural and Mixed zone. The applicant proposes a 24-hour self-storage operation and does not propose an office for the site. The proposal reflects a rising need for storage space in Lincoln County. People who’re downsizing or relocating to a new house are some of the most typical people considering self-storage options. A market area population of at least 20,000 to 30,000 people currently support roughly 18 self-storage units in Lincoln County. Sixteen of the 18 storage facilities are located in unincorporated Lincoln County with only three (3) being located in the Rural zone. Seventeen of the 18 storage units surveyed provided for 1,233 units with 1,208 or 98% being utilized. 4 Land Use and Concentration of Storage Facilities With regard to concentration, residents have complained about the growth of storage unit facilities in Lincoln County. The concern is related to the notion that blank facades and storage unit doors along highway frontage tend to create a visual disinterest lacking appeal, attractiveness and does not necessarily inspire a further development action of higher architectural character. The storage unit concentration issue as well as the placement of steel shipping containers in residential areas are issues that should be addressed in the Comprehensive Plan Update since there currently are no design guidelines in place to regulate this concern. Most storage facilities are located in the Mixed zone although there are several commercial storage facilities located in Rural zone. Star Valley Storage (PZC 96-123), Old Farm Storage (112 PZ 17) and Twin Peaks Storage (102 PZ 15) all exists within the Rural zone. Although there are grandfathered storage facilities in the Rural zone, there does not appear to be any facilities in the Rural zone sharing a lot with a residential use. There is a conflict between the approved plat calling for commercial/residential on the lot and the Thayne Community Overlay Zone. The Overlay Zone states that the area outside of mixed development areas will contain agricultural, low density residential and recreational facilities but does not mention commercial facilities. The White Tails Meadows 2nd Filing Amended Plat calls for commercial and residential uses. The subject property, i.e., Lot 3 is in the Rural zone but directly abuts a Mixed zone to the east. The three approved plats in 2017, 2021 and 2023 should have recognized this conflict but was approved with the site being designated residential/commercial. There are seven (7) self-storage facilities within three (3) miles of the subject property including Old Farm Storage, Timberline Storage Solutions, Thayne Storage, PG and J Storage, Elkhorn Storage, Mountain Meadow Storage, Haystack Mountain and RV Storage, and Altitude Storage. Most storage container businesses depend heavily on drive-by traffic to attract customers and in Lincoln County, the majority of self-storage facilities are located directly off of primary roads and prominently visible. At the current rate, new storage units are likely to continue to be located along arterials only further contributing to the visual concern. The concentration concern is mitigated on the subject case because the proposed units are shielded from the view of motorists on Muddy String Road. Visibility of the subject container units will be largely shielded from view along Muddy String Road and landscaping to the west and south. The resident directly to the west of the subject property has complained that he will have a direct view of the containers although the applicant will be required to shield the view. Access There is one entrance to the site off of Fawn Lane which is an 18-foot-wide private road on a 60-foot easement. The ITE Trip Generation Manual 8th Edition for Mini Warehouse (ITE Code 151) estimates there will be 40 trips/weekday generated by the 160 storage units. Numerous traffic studies conducted at self-storage sites around the U.S. show the amount of traffic generated to be much lower than the ITE estimate. Traffic is expected to enter Muddy String CR 117 with 50% traveling north and 50% traveling south. The new proposed travel way within the storage site will be 40 feet or greater and allow a full double looped one-way internal road through the site. This will accommodate fire trucks and customer vehicles with trailers and reduce the need for any backing up. The applicant will be required to improve Fawn Lane to county road width standards of two 12-foot travel lanes and two-foot shoulders. 5 Parking The Land Use Regulations does not give any direction for self-storage parking. There appears to be enough maneuvering lane for cars to pull up to the units and still allow traffic to flow around them. Snow Removal At least 1,600 square feet will be reserved for snow storage and there is also a 7,200 square foot area reserved as a snow storage removal area. Fawn Lane will allow snow removal to both sides of the roadway through the private 120-foot cul-de-sac. The snow from the west units will be pushed against the back of the units situated further east. The eastern rows will have the snow pushed to the north to the snow removal areas. Snow storage areas are depicted in blue on the graphic to the right. Buffering The west row of units will all access from the east to and the middle row of storage units will buffer neighbors from seeing people load and unload. To the south, landscaping along Fawn Lane will buffer farmland and landscaping along the driveway will buffer residential uses to the west. Heavier evergreen trees would best provide a visual screen to two residential uses located roughly 100 feet and 450 feet west of the subject property. Lighting Units will have low intensity exterior lighting with very low lumens and motional sensored for brightness contributing to dark sky concerns. Drainage Stormwater and snowmelt drainage will be designed to take advantage of the absorptive soils in this area and have 6 driveway slope into a natural area to drain through the soil. All drainage will remain onsite and not impact neighboring properties. Other Concerns Areas of concern include potential fire hazards and visual impacts, i.e., visual impacts due to concentration of storage units. The Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety will be required to review plans prior to the issuance of a Zoning and Development Permit. As such, the contents of the storage units should be limited to non-combustible materials. All buildings shall fit within the applicable code requirements for Group S-1 in current International Building Code (IBC). Units shall have no pervious surface inside the structure. At the August 23, 2023 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the Commissioners asked if the storage units would be anchored to the ground. The applicant responded that the combined weight of the storage containers would protect the containers from being blown away. Anchoring the containers is a good option to ensure the storage containers stay intact especially when winds exceed 180 mph according to East Coast Container. But the bottom line is all containers are heavy even before items are put inside. The 40-foot containers weigh 8,000 pounds and the 20-foot containers weigh 4,500 lbs. A Plat Note states the subject lot may be located in areas of severe soil limitations. Site conditions may prevent the use of conventional septic systems and building techniques. As such, the applicant will have to provide a soil study attesting the soil will be able to sustain the weight of structures. Agency and Public Comments Staff has received two letters of opposition. Storage Facilities Lincoln County Name Address #units #units in service % Phone 1 Signature Storage 445 Washington St, Afton, WY 83110 31 31 100 13072488801 2 Elkhorn Storage 80 Lost Creek Rd, Thayne, WY 83127 105 103 98 13078804100 3 Star Storage 87601 US-89 #1308, Afton, WY 83110 350 350 100 13072481000 4 Valley Storage 145 Twin Spruce Ln, Afton, WY 83110 80 78 98 13078877867 5 Red Barn Storage 1136 Washington St, Afton, WY 83110 13078877332 6 Twin Peaks Storage 205 S Grover Rd, Grover, WY 83122 44 42 95 13078879431 7 Mountain Meadow Storage 1885 Muddy String Rd 117, Thayne, WY 83127 120 118 98 13078808685 8 Old Farm Storage 103305 US-89, Freedom, WY 83120 13078806444 9 Big D Storage Units US-89, Thayne, WY 83127 64 62 97 13078802443 10 Thayne Storage 77 Jepperson Dr, Thayne, WY 83127 13078831353 11 Star Valley Storage 1071 Co Rd 115, Etna, WY 83118 150 145 97 13078804334 12 Altitude Storage 4500 Muddy String Co Rd 117, Star Valley Ranch, WY 83127 13078837444 13 haystack Mountain and RV Stor 1670 Muddy String Rd 117, Thayne, WY 83127 100 90 90 13072276776 14 alpine Storage 772 Jordan Canyon Rd, Alpine, WY 83128 176 176 100 13076547587 15 The Storehouse Lupine Cir, Alpine, WY 83128 13077639341 16 Alpine Lakes Warehouse Stor 770 Palisades Dr, Alpine, WY 83128 13076992737 17 PG & J Storage 650 N Main St, Thayne, WY 83127 13 13 100 13072231440 18 Timberline Storage Solutions 205 Friesian Cir, Thayne, WY 83127 13078875674 TOTALS 1233 1208 98 Surveyed by Lincoln County Planning August 11, 2023 Star Valley Ranch Thayne 21 18 08 04 20 07 06 17 09 19 16 05 23 11 14 02 24 12 01 13 34N 119W 34N 118W ³±120 ³±117Commercial Park Lane Fawn Lane Meadow Springs Lane J & J SPECIALIZEDLLC, ETAL RAKER,JOSHUA A & JENNIFER STEMBRIDGE,ADAM & JENNIFER PALISADES LAND &HOME LLC PALISADESLAND & HOME LLC KRAMER, VINCE A KRAMER, VINCE A J & J SPECIALIZED LLC, ETAL J & J SPECIALIZEDLLC, ETAL TITENSOR,DEBRA MOORE, JEREMIE M STAR VALLEY SPRINGS, LLC WILDE,KARSON & KAITLYN XL STORAGE, LLC HARMAN, GEORGETTE A GODFREY, RICHARD M & KDIANE TRUSTEES ERICKSON, RONNIE & ANNA SPERRY, MATTHEW B & PAIGE D WALKER FORESHADOW, LLC ROTH, JUSTIN B WYOTEX PROPERTIES, LLC ROBINSON,JILL W STAR VALLEY SPRINGS, LLC MAVY, EMMETT STAR VALLEY SPRINGS, LLC COSMA, DINO & NOELLE Maxar, Microsoft Conditional Use Application Projects US Highways WY Highways Township & Range Sections Municipalities Public Noticing 105 CUP 23 Star Valley Shipping Container Storage Emmett Mavy Prepared using available data by Katie Gipson on 9 Aug. 2023. Map is for informational purposes only and in no way represents an official survey of land.