Contributing Writer
Town of Niagara officials have more work to do before they can amend a local zoning law governing self-storage facilities.
Town Attorney Corey A. Auerbach said the law must go before Niagara County for approval before the four-member Town Board can take action.
“Because (the law) is townwide, it triggers a referral requirement,” Auerbach said. “So, the town will (likely) take action at its November meeting.”
If everything goes well at the county level, the board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 – a change from the normal third Tuesday meeting date due to the Thanksgiving holiday – to put a stamp of approval on the change.
The new law reverts to a previous zoning code restricting self-storage lots to industrial zoning. Currently, the town allows them in commercial zones after an exception to the old rule became permanent and was overlooked.
Supervisor Lee Wallace, who will end his service at the conclusion of the year, said the change is needed to prevent more and more self-storage facilities from popping up.
“The board has concerns about there being too many of these things,” he said.
In preparation for the vote next month, town officials held a public hearing before Tuesday’s regular meeting. They learned there may be an overcorrection in the proposed change they could look into before the final vote.
Business owner Mike Richards questioned the wording of the new law including not just self-storage facilities, but any kind of warehouse at all.
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