Milton planners table DEStorage application

The Milton Planning and Zoning Commission tabled a preliminary site-plan application from DEStorage to build a storage facility at the intersection of Route 16 and Palmer Street Extended.

DEStorage, which has self-storage facilities throughout Delaware, including in Georgetown, Milford and Rehoboth Beach, is seeking to construct four buildings on a seven-acre parcel that was annexed into Milton in December. While the property is zoned C-1 commercial, a storage facility is a special permitted use, which DEStorage has been granted. 

At the commission’s April 18 meeting, DEStorage had two requests. The first, which passed unanimously, was to modify the company’s special-use permit to change the size of the proposed buildings on the site. DEStorage was approved for two 40,000-square-foot buildings and two 20,000-square-foot buildings, but that was modified to be two 32,000-square-foot buildings and two 27,000-square-foot buildings, with the larger buildings in the front and the smaller ones in the rear. The complex will also include an office building adjacent to Palmer Street Extended and stormwater retention ponds in the front and rear of the property. 

Jamie Sechler, engineer for the project, said the change was to keep the rear buildings from encroaching on a wellhead protection area. He said the change also allows for the buildings to be farther away from nearby residential homes. 

From there, the DEStorage application went to public hearing on the preliminary site plan, and quickly the commission found the application lacking key details.

Commissioner Jeff Seemans, discussing the landscaping plan, said, “I’m not prepared to vote on this, or I’ll vote no if it does come to a vote, because this doesn’t comply with the subdivision code.”

DEStorage was planning to landscape around the front stormwater retention pond and include trees to screen the facility both fronting Route 16 and on each side of the lot. 

Other problems the commission found were that elevations for all the buildings were not included in the submission. After there was no public comment, Commissioner George Cardwell moved to table the application but to leave the record open until DEStorage can provide more details for the landscaping plan, lighting plan and elevations for all the buildings.

The soonest the commission would continue with the preliminary site-plan review is Tuesday, May 16.