Could Self-Storage Facility Be Built On 7.5-Acre Property In Oswego?

OSWEGO, IL — A petitioner is looking to build a self-storage facility off Lewis Drive and Orchard Road, garnering varying recommendations for courses of action from village officials.

At Tuesday night's Village Board meeting, trustees will consider an ordinance for a special use permit for the facility on 7.5 acres of land within the Orchard Way commercial development. The facility would contain six storage structures with a main parking lot along the east end of the site, according to the petitioner, Phil McAlister, who works for an investment management firm.

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Self-storage facilities require a special use permit in the M-1 General Manufacturing and B-1 Regional Business Districts.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-2 to recommend approval of the special use permit. The nay-voters said the petitioner did not meet the required minimum standards for a special use permit.

Concurrently, village staff believes the storage facility does not meet the intent of the Orchard Road development, saying typical uses generate customers and can create cross-activity between the various businesses, according to village documents. The proposed use would have "low customer volumes that may not generate customer interactions between the other uses in the center."

"The latest trend in commercial uses are 'experiential' retail where patrons can go and experience an event or activity," staff wrote in a memo. "In Orchard Way, that type of use is provided by the Whitetail Golf Dome. Here customers can eat or drink while also experiencing the activity of hitting golf balls."

The storage facility would be better suited for a manufacturing district, staff said.

The petitioner has not yet shared a detailed site plan and other required materials, documents state. If the special use permit is approved, the petitioner will have to submit a final planned unit development plat with the missing items.