Public hearing set for proposed moratorium on self-storage facilities in downtown Birmingham
A public hearing has been set for the July 2 Birmingham City Council meeting to discuss a proposed temporary moratorium on new self-storage facilities opening downtown.
The Council unanimously passed the item on Tuesday , which set the public hearing for next week, following a brief discussion about why this is a pressing issue the City needs to address.
Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:
While no specific projects were discussed, Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who submitted the item, cited a need to move expeditiously in order to prevent prime downtown real estate from becoming future self-storage facilities that don’t provide more than a few jobs and often occupy large parcels.
“This is problematic because we’re actually in the process of reviewing the land use plan for the downtown area — Fountain Heights, Druid Hills, Central City all of that area. Because self-storage facilities occupy a lot of space but don’t create a lot of jobs, we’re concerned with the land use and zoning downtown,” O’Quinn said.
“We want to make sure that especially in our downtown area that property is being used at the highest and best use possible and we’re concerned about self-storage facilities occupying some of the best property in Birmingham,” O’Quinn said. “Downtown’s thrive when there is vibrancy and density — lots of people coming to work and contributing to other businesses in the area. We want to make sure these self-storage facilities end up in the appropriate place and not on a corner lot in an entertainment district.”
Councilor Steven Hoyt, who chairs the Planning and Zoning Committee, said he is in agreement with passing a temporary moratorium on issuing business licenses to self-storage facility companies downtown.
“I believe that if we have property downtown, we need to maximize its use and not tie it up to a point where it’s not creating jobs and opportunities for our residents,” Hoyt said. “I obviously do not have anything against storage facilities, I just believe we need to be diligent about where they are allowed to operate.”
Councilor Hoyt will chair the public hearing at the Tuesday, July 2, Council meeting and residents are encouraged to come and take part in the discussion. The proposed moratorium would be for a one-year term and would not affect self-storage facilities that currently operate in the city.
