By Jaime Lynn Miller

ith many cities enacting stricter guidelines for self-storage development, the semantics of planning and zoning are constantly in flux. What are the pitfalls? How can you avoid them? How can self-storage developers ensure zoning and planning approval? From well-thought-out design and landscaping to knowledge of surrounding neighborhoods and vested interests, there are many factors to consider. Modern Storage Media spoke with experts around the country to strategize and problem-solve when navigating the planning and zoning process.

A detailed, intentional site plan remains essential to the building permit process. “It’s crucial to understand your project’s limitations, such as maximum square footage, building height, setback requirements, and parking provisions, as these will directly influence the facility design,” says Alexx Calderon and his colleagues from Phoenix-based RKAA Architects, Inc. “The project’s overall design plays a significant role in obtaining approval, so it should align with the surrounding area and community expectations.”

Security plans, market analysis, and clear evidence of inspection logistics demonstrate know-how and consideration of the surrounding community. Include color renderings of landscape design and any aesthetic touches to help flush out your site plan, thereby increasing public perception.

To navigate the planning and zoning process, experts advise enlisting professionals along the way. “Navigate the process with extreme caution,” says David Meinecke of Jordan Architects, based in San Clemente, Calif. “It’s important to do the homework around local regulations and market research. Several qualified companies can complete feasibility studies to give you a great snapshot of the competitive market and will help qualify the project to the investment community,” he says.

Getting the right team members for that early engagement is vital to the process, says Meinecke. “We advise clients to hire a local civil [engineer] with experience in the jurisdiction to help streamline the efforts,” he says. “We’ve been brought in late to projects with inexperienced team members, which then extended the timeline of the process and caused a lot of “re-work” to the project. To that end, developers often hire land use attorneys or expeditors to take the guesswork out of the process and limit the municipal back and forth.

Similarly, Denise Nunez of Phoenix’s NAI Horizon underscores the importance of working with a seasoned team of experts. “The biggest mistake I see, time and time again, is not hiring experience. And while there are certainly qualified knowledgeable groups out there building beautiful products, it’s those who are new to our asset class, those who we may see expanding from industrial and multifamily or some other area, who are making fundamental mistakes,” she says. “It makes a difference when the general contractor has built 100-plus of these projects. That also goes for architects, project managers, and brokers.”

As the business landscape of self-storage development adapts to market and demographic shifts, developers may face new challenges, including post-pandemic staffing issues, skeptical jurisdictions, and shifting regulations. As always, meeting challenges requires a more thorough understanding of the issues.

BUILDING CONSTRAINTS AND OVERCROWDING
Design constraints, says Calderon, can pose a significant challenge to self-storage developers. “Striking a balance between aesthetic expectations and zoning requirements can be tricky.”

“I’d say the availability/cost of money and overbuilt markets remain a challenge,” adds Meinecke. “We are seeing some developers having difficulty pinning down loans to push projects forward. Storage has been hot for a while and you are seeing some markets impacted as a result. With more pipeline supply coming online with high rates and land values that haven’t dropped, deals are becoming more difficult to pencil.”

A quick call to the city planner can determine whether there’s a path toward approval. If not, it may be time to expand your vision. Nunez recommends creative problem-solving like making the self-storage facility just part of the plan. “Developers are getting more creative, taking out large parcels of land and including self-storage as part of the overall site plan for development. One example is Phoenix’s The Grove at 44^th Street and Camelback,” she says, which includes the Globe Ambassador Hotel, office space, high-end apartment residences, first-class restaurants, and a 70,000-net-rentable-square-foot, climate-controlled self-storage facility “way in the back corner.”

INEXPERIENCED INSIDERS, CHALLENGING OUTSIDERS
Infrastructure changes within planning and zoning departments are also giving developers pause. “Entitlement timelines have lengthened significantly, and post-COVID shifts in staffing mean project reviews are handled by less experienced staff members,” says Meinecke. “We have seen an increase in the lack of organization and communication in almost all jurisdictions we have dealt with in the past five or so years.”

Another challenge is the jurisdictions themselves; from building requirements to project timing to the overall perception of self-storage facilities, the general public can be a tough crowd. “One of the emerging challenges is the increased opposition from the community,” says Calderon, “with residents often voicing concerns about traffic, aesthetics, or perceived negative impacts on their neighborhood.” It’s important to highlight the facility’s compatibility with the surrounding setting, he advises, to increase buy-in.

Homeowner associations and community activists are uniquely positioned to affect local politics, and building positive relationships with these interested parties creates better understanding. Get to know the constituents and meet with community decision-makers before a permit hearing. Talk about your design, show them renderings, listen to objections, and respond with solutions.

TOP MISTAKES AND POSSIBLE CURES
According to Meinecke, many mistakes occur during the due diligence phase. “During this time, it’s important to get comfortable with the city/county requirements and their take on the project at hand,” he says. Simply put, mistakes include not asking the right questions, hence staying uninformed. Ignorance will sabotage the best-laid plans.

NOT UNDERSTANDING ZONING REGULATIONS
“Developers make several common mistakes during the early zoning stages,” says Calderon. “One of the top mistakes is not conducting sufficient research into local zoning regulations and requirements, which can lead to costly errors.”

You need to know how close you can be to another storage facility, how many parking spaces are needed, and whether your facility needs to join an industrial park or it can be its own destination. Ask questions and find answers, either online or in person.

“Again, utilize the services available at the city,” says Meinecke. “Do the pre-application conference. Meet with planners and city officials. Study everything about the target market, surrounding residential and retail establishments, prevailing traffic, and quality of storage competition. Are there new projects on the horizon? How high are the barriers to entry in the market?”

NOT UNDERSTANDING THE COMMUNITY
Get to know the community. Its members have opinions; they’ll be impacted and they may become your customer base. What matters to them should matter to you. “Ignoring the local community’s input is another common mistake, which can result in opposition or delays during the approval process,” says Calderon and the RKAA team. “Design discrepancies, such as creating a self-storage facility that clashes with the surrounding neighborhood, can create tension and lead to opposition.”

When approaching zoning boards and planning commissions, strategic planning and effective presentation skills move the process forward. To gain the most ground, however, it’s important to remain objective. “Just the facts ma’am,” says Meinecke.

“Oddly enough, self-storage projects can draw out some emotional arguments from city officials and neighbors,” Meinecke says. “It’s important to stick to the facts and keep emotions out of it. Most of the arguments can be de-escalated by calmly presenting the facts.” For example, commissioners commonly ask why they need another storage facility. “Be prepared with your responses and demonstrate how the quality of your facility differs from the competition.”

Public hearings allow community members to voice their opinions during the approval process. “Developers should attend these hearings and address any resident concerns,” says Calderon. They’ll learn which board members speak most often and will gain a better understanding of common concerns and must-haves.

“Having designed storage for over 40 years, our firm has heard nearly every argument for and against self-storage,” says Meinecke. “I like to approach these hearings with a great deal of humility. It’s important to approach this in a non-threatening manner and act as a liaison to self-storage information.”

Like most successful endeavors, navigating the planning and zoning process is a team effort, and enlisting experts early on will pave the way to approval.“Remember,” says Calderon, “professional assistance, thorough research, and community engagement are all crucial to successful self-storage development within zoning guidelines.”