In its sole business Monday night, the Warsaw Board of Zoning Appeals approved Frauhiger Realty’s request for a use variance to permit indoor warehousing in a residential zone. The U-Store It warehouse will be on lots 45 to 49 in the Beyers South Park Addition at the corners of Hillside Drive and Hackleman Street. The building will be a 30-foot by 190-foot mini-warehouse, according to a letter to the BZA from Ashley Finney, Frauhiger Realty LLC facility manager. Assistant City Planner Tim Dombrosky told the board the request was for inside warehousing storage units. The request is similar to the nature of existing storage units across the street. It’s the same owner and same situation. He said Frauhiger owns the entire block and the lots in question have been vacant for a long time but now the petitioner wants to make use of them. While the lots may have been identified as commercial, Dombrosky said they were actually zoned residential and warehousing is not permitted in residential zoning, which was why the petitioner needed a use variance. Dombrosky recommended approving the use variance if adequate screening could be provided for the warehouse, and it was up to the board to determine what “adequate” was. As for comments from adjacent property owners, Dombrosky said a property owner on Hackleman Street stopped by the city planning office and expressed his concern with warehouses at that location and the effect it would have on his property value. Another property owner called in and expressed her support for the warehouse. Finney told the board, “We’re not doing it because we think Warsaw just needs another storage unit. We’re actually full. Very, very full. I think we have 10 empty units and they’re all 5 by 6’s, which is the least desirable size that we offer.” She said in her letter she indicated they didn’t plan to put up a fence because of all the boat traffic on busy weekends at the boat ramp. “We will have overflow parking in our lot, which we’ve allowed. We don’t charge, we don’t complain. It’s just open for them. We didn’t want to take that away and cause problems, but if the neighbors prefer we fence in, absolutely we’ll fence in,” she said. “We’re not for it or against it, we’re pretty neutral. We just want to do what’s best for the community as a whole.” She said they don’t allow or plan to allow any outside storage. If it can’t fit in a unit, it’s not welcome at the location. Asked later about hazardous chemicals being stored in the units, Finney said the contract says no chemicals. “I can’t say that there’s going to be no way because that’s just not realistic at all,” she said. “But, our contracts do state that if you’re storing a motor vehicle of any kind ... the gas has to be at the lowest level, on fumes, when it’s pulled in. It does say you can not store fuel in cans or anything like that. Nothing combustible or flammable, and that is in our lease. And that is for the protection of the fire department should there be some kind of fire. We don’t want those kind of things exploding in there.” The board then discussed how much screening should be put up, where it should go and what kind was adequate. Finney said if they put up fencing, it would go on all four sides just for added security. Board Vice President Rick Keeven said the west and south side where residences are needed screening. Dan Smith, board member, said if the east side was left open that could accommodate boaters. Dombrosky suggested screening on the north and east street sides, perhaps some evergreen landscaping with fencing. Board member Tammy Dalton disagreed with screening on the east side and said it needs to be left open. However, she said screening on the north side along Smith Street would be a good idea, at least around the corner half way. No one at the meeting spoke up against the petition. The board approved the use variance with complete screening on the west and south sides and half way on the north side, and the east side is to remain open. Screening will include a 6-foot privacy fence and a tree every 30 feet. The next Warsaw BZA meeting is at 7 p.m. May 23 in the city council chambers.
