Milton council approves DEStorage annexation

Milton Town Council unanimously approved the annexation of a half-acre parcel at the corner of Route 16 and Palmer Street Extended that is part of a seven-acre lot planned to be developed as a DEStorage self-storage facility.

Council passed the annexation quickly at its Dec. 5 meeting, as has been the case most of the way through the process. The annexation has not been controversial because the majority of the parcel is already within Milton, and this would make the entire parcel contiguous. 

The half-acre lot was an enclave bordering Palmer Street Extended that had been the site of a house that was demolished several years ago, but the land has been kept as open space. DEStorage sought to bring the parcel it already owns into town like the rest of the land. 

The annexation had previously been given a green light by the town’s special review committee and recommended by the planning and zoning commission, which both agreed it was in the town’s interest to have the land as one contiguous parcel. Because the portion of the parcel is so small, town officials did not force the request to undergo a cost-benefit analysis or be reviewed by outside consultants, as has been done for larger annexations. 

DEStorage was already granted a special permitted use by planning and zoning to build a storage facility on the parcel. The facility would comprise two 40,000-square-foot and two 20,000-square-foot buildings. The larger two-story buildings would front Route 16, while the other buildings, one story each, would be built on the back side of the property. Also planned are an office building, a gated entrance and stormwater retention ponds on the front and back of the property.

The next step is for site plans to be reviewed by planning and zoning.