Sandy Spring-Ashton Rural Preservation Consortium

The SSARPC (PreserveAshton.net)

supports development in Ashton that conforms to the Master Plan.

We are pro-Master Plan, not anti-development.

Siena Corporation held an open meeting on May 6 to present to the community their plans for an ezStorage self-storage facility in Sandy Spring.  It will replace the WH Rental building on Route 108, across from the Sandy Spring Museum.  There were over 50 community members in attendance.  Many of the attendees spoke very intensely against the idea of having a storage facility in the rural, residential area of Sandy Spring.  Towards the end of the meeting, one attendee summarized the feelings, telling the developer that the people have spoken out against this idea, and encouraged the developer to look at other areas nearby, such as the intersection of Route 32 and Route 108, which is more commercial and industrial.  The Gazette published an article with the title:  “Residents: ezStorage not compatible to downtown Sandy Spring”. 

Craig Pittinger, Vice President of Siena Corporation, gave an introduction to their plan for the ezStorage facility.  He showed a picture of a facility in Gaithersburg (807 South Frederick Avenue, Route 355) that has the appearance of an office building.  The proposed structure is smaller than the Gaithersburg facility (about 800 storage units, some under climate control) and the design can be changed to blend into the area.  The facility will be two stories above ground and one below ground.  The total floor area will be about 116,000 square feet.  The plan will include three or four retail stores in the front of the building (one selling packing supplies) and parallel parking on the street.  There is also a parking lot on the east side of the building.  The zoning of the area is C2, which permits commercial structures like the one being proposed.

The building will be open six days a week, the office from 9:00 to 5:30 and access to the storage facility from 7:00 am to 9:00 or 10:00 pm.  There will also be a tenant in a two bedroom apartment at the back of the building.

Status as of May 21:  Siena Corporation is working on their plans that will be submitted to the Planning Board.

Question:  A resident expressed strong concern about the value of his property going down due to the ezStorage facility being nearby.  He also questioned the benefit of such a facility to the community.  People might go there once or twice a year; it doesn’t have to be in your backyard.  This area is not an area for apartments and renters, and there are few businesses.  People purchased homes because the area is rural.

Response:  Research indicates that storage facility customers come from about a three to five mile radius of the facility.  Regardless of the price of houses, people need extra storage.  This location was chosen because of the demographics and zoning.  On the positive side, there will be little traffic and it won’t bring school kids to the area.  Most of the time the type of vehicle will be cars and small rental trucks, not 18-wheel trucks.

Question:  The Master Plan calls for this area to be a village center.  Village centers don’t have storage facilities.  The concept is for a walkable community. 

Response:  The stores on Route 108 will provide for pedestrian access.

Question:  Will there be a fence?

Response:  There will be a six foot fence.  It will not be a chain link fence with barbed wire. 

Question:  Someone rents a storage unit at a facility in Laurel that is really a commercial facility with a number of trade people using the storage.

Response:  Commercial trade people usually use the metal units.  There are approximately six units that will have the type of access that is of interest to commercial people.

Question:  What about storm water management?

Response:  The existing storm water management system for the homes will serve the site.

Question:  Concern about the crime rate increasing.

Response:  This is not an issue and there is no more crime rate than in other industries.  There are video cameras throughout, security codes that the clients use for access through the front door and into the storage unit, and there is a record kept of access into each area.  The police can be contacted via a silent alarm.  There is a digital record of who was in each unit that can be examined if necessary.

Question:  Could the facility be used for manufacturing items?

Response:  Electrical appliances are not allowed.

Question:  There are only about 10 acres of commercially zoned property between Sandy Spring and Ashton, and this is about 20% of what is available for development.  Each commercial development project should be trying to bring something to the community.

Response:  The stores along Route 108 will bring some commercial benefits to the community.

Comment:  Store fronts are only being used to hide an elephant.  The community will not support this use.

Comment:  Did you survey the community?  It looks like you are building something with the idea “If we build it they will come”.

Question:  What will be the approval process?

Response:  We will be submitting Preliminary and Site plans to the County for approval.  There will be time for public comment about the plans.

Comment:  This community is savvy, passionate and knowledgeable.  People know the process, how to work through the process, and let their ideas be known.  Most people are not opposed to development, but want the right type of development for a rural area.

Comment:  The Sandy Spring-Ashton Master Plan is the guiding document for development in the Sandy Spring and Ashton areas.  The Master Plan focuses on the rural nature of the area and is designed to create a synergy between residential and commercial uses.  What is inside a development is as important as the design.

Question:  There was a private meeting with a group known as the Sandy Spring Ashton Rural Preservation Consortium (SSARPC).  This organization does not representative the entire community.

Response:  That meeting was held to just get a pulse of the community.  The meeting this evening is being held to hear from the community and hopefully to have a cross section of the community attending.

Clarification from SSARPC:  The SSARPC is just one group of people who care about what happens to the rural community that we live in.  The SSARPC has never said that it represents the entire community; it is group of people who have gotten together to ensure that the Sandy Spring-Ashton Master Plan is followed as development occurs.  The SSARPC does encourage everyone to get involved, regardless of their viewpoint.  For the process to work properly, all citizens who are concerned should be involved.

If you have any questions or wish to submit written comments to Siena Corporation, please contact Debra Borden at 301.961.5250 or dborden@linowes-law.com.   The SSARPC would like to get copies of your comments.  Please send them to feedback@ssarpc.org.