ezStorage Preliminary Plan Discussion
January 12, 2009
ezStorage is planning to
construct a self-storage facility in Sandy Spring on the site of the old WH
Rental Center on Route 108. The Planning Staff Report on the
Preliminary Plan
can be read here.
It is not
too late to make your voice heard by writing a letter
or sending email. The contacts at Park
and Planning are listed here. SSARPC would
like to receive a copy of your correspondence. Copies of letters we have received can be
read here.
The SSARPC Steering Committee is opposed to the building of any storage facility
in the downtown Sandy Spring and Ashton areas. There are eight ezStorage facilities located
within 15 miles of Sandy Spring. Such storage
facilities are typically found in industrial and/or heavily retail areas,
such as those where ezStorage has already located in Montgomery County: Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Germantown,
Rockville, and Takoma Park. These images show something of the character of the areas as
well as the proposed area in Sandy Spring. In particular, constructing an ezStorage
facility adjacent to homes, close to the entrance of the Sandy Spring village
and across from the Sandy Spring Museum is not in keeping with the historic
and rural nature of the area, as called for in the Sandy Spring-Ashton Master
Plan.
The developer held an open meeting on October 28 at Sherwood High School
where they presented a new design for the building.
The new design is substantially better than the original design; on
first glance it appears to fit well in the area. However, the intended use of the building limited
the designer. The front of the building appears to be stores or offices.
There is a porch and doors and windows, but most of the windows are false. The view through the
windows will likely be either the actual storage areas or a picture of a
store or office interior. The side and
back views of the building are just what one normally sees in a storage
facility: largely windowless brick walls and loading docks. The reaction of most of the attendees at
the meeting was still “we don’t want a storage facility in our community.” A storage facility does not fit in with the
rural character of the community and would do nothing to revitalize the area.
The Planning Board must find, as part of the approval of the preliminary
plan, that the proposal is consistent with the Master Plan and the zoning.
The Overlay Zone’s purpose includes: “Encourage a compatible relationship
between new or expanded houses or business and traditional neighboring
structures that reflects the best of local village character, particularly in
terms of scale, siting, design features, and orientation on the site.” The ezStorage facility is not compatible
with the surrounding homes and the Sandy Spring Museum that is across Route
108 from the site, nor with the nearby Sandy Spring village center.
The Master Plan includes a number of references that are relevant
to the proposed ezStorage development. Some of these references include:
-
“Community Identity and Design: Provide for land use patterns and land
uses that offer ample opportunities for social interaction and promote a
strong sense of community through public and private cooperation.” (Page 8) An ezStorage
facility does nothing to encourage social interaction or to promote a
sense of community.
- “Another important feature of the Plan is its
emphasis on the vitality and character of the village centers that
contribute to the community’s rural character.” (Page 8) The
“vitality and character” should apply to the entrances to the village
centers, not just the village centers themselves.
- “This Plan makes the preservation and
enhancement of the area’s rural character its top priority, closely
balanced with another high priority goal, which is environmental
protection.” (Page 8) ezStorage
facilities do not enhance the rural character of the area and do not fit
into rural areas, but are normally found in industrial and large scale retail
areas.
- “Create pedestrian “traffic” with uses and
designs that invite frequent visits by all members of the
community.” (Page 32) ezStorage
facilities are focused on automobile (or small truck) access, and by the
nature of the business, do not invite, but instead discourage,
pedestrian traffic.
- One of the Sandy
Spring/Ashton Rural Village Overlay Zone’s key features is: “Exclusion
of new auto-oriented or typically large-scale uses that are inconsistent
with traditional rural development patterns with flexibility to ensure
the continuation of existing uses through grandfathering.” (Page 81) ezStorage is a new auto-oriented
use.
We encourage you to
communicate your thoughts
to the Planning Board before the Site Plan Hearing
takes place. Please also send a copy
to SSARPC.
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