Milton planners approve storage facility site plans

Not one but two self-storage facilities are close to becoming a reality on Route 16 in Milton.

The town’s planning and zoning commission unanimously approved final site-plan approval for YourSpace Storage, to be located near the intersection of Route 16 and Union Street Extended, and a preliminary site-plan for another facility, DEStorage, to be located at Route 16 and Palmer Street Extended. 

Both approvals were delayed until the commission’s May 18 meeting to allow each applicant to submit additional information. In YourSpace’s case, that included a stormwater management plan, a lighting plan and a landscaping plan.

Applicant Peak Management LLC is planning to build a self-storage complex across from the proposed Royal Farms property. The complex will include two buildings: the main building will be 109,000 square feet and three stories tall. The second building will be 2,400 square feet and one story. Plans call for two stormwater infiltration basins at the front and rear of the property. Peak Management is planning to construct sidewalks with crosswalks along Route 16 and will plant shrubbery around edges of the complex to screen it from surrounding residential homes. 

David Hutt, attorney for Peak Management, said utilities at the facility will be underground, and lights will be pointed downward and shielded. Ken Usab, developer of the project, said DART is planning to add a bus stop along the sidewalk in front of the facility, so benches will be added to accommodate the additional use. Usab said additional tweaks were made to the plans to improve fire vehicle access. 

A special-use permit was approved in August and preliminary site-plans were approved in January. 

For DEStorage, the commission held a public hearing in April, but held off on a vote to allow the company to submit a lighting plan, landscaping plan and revised elevations of proposed buildings. 

The DEStorage complex will comprise five structures: two 32,000-square-foot buildings and two 27,000-square-foot buildings, as well as an office building. The project will be built in two phases with entry off Palmer Street Extended. Plans call for two stormwater management ponds, one at the front and another at the rear of the property. All four storage buildings will be two stories tall. 

With the preliminary approval, DEStorage can now move forward with seeking approval from state and county agencies. Once those approvals are in hand, DEStorage can come back for final approval.