By Terry Baver
Planning commission approved a motion for a special-use permit and site-plan application that will allow Gateway RV Storage in Brookville, Ohio, to build additional storage units at its facility at 600 Albert Road.
In addition to their approval, planners also required:
- a stormwater analysis plan be made
- compliance with the fire department to install additional fire hydrants at the location
- turning radius be evaluated that will enable easy maneuverability for fire department apparatus and other large vehicles around one of the buildings.
“The proposed special use would add additional storage units to the property,” Brookville Law Director Rod Stephan told planners.
“The storage units will have two entrances, one on each side of the existing building, for access to the storage units,” Stephan stated, before adding that Brookville Fire Chief Ron Fletcher requested additional hydrants be installed.
Stephan said Fletcher requested that one fire hydrant be located on Albert Road at the south side of the property. He said a second fire hydrant could be placed somewhere toward the middle of the property or in the rear of the current building on the property. Planning commission member Ken Claggett asked Stephan who will pay for the additional hydrants and the water.
“We are going to ask the applicant to try to address those costs,” Stephan replied.
Planning Commission Chairperson Ryan Henderson voiced concern with stormwater run-off.
“Significantly more roof surface and hard surface is being added to the area. I just worry about the additional run-off because of the additional hard surface and where is the water going to go and do we have a system in place to support the additional water?” Henderson said.
Henderson also voiced concern with the turning radius around one of the buildings for large vehicles. “Is there enough clearance on the southeast corner for fire trucks or large RVs to go around the building? From what I see it could shorten one of your buildings a little bit to get a better turning radius there,” he said.
Stephan said he raised the same concern with Fletcher.
“He (Fletcher) was not that concerned thinking they can go around both sides of the building, but I agree there ideally ought to be enough room there to have a turning radius,” Stephan said.
Mike Wenzler (right), of Dayton, owner of the storage facility, said he will make sure there is enough room for vehicles to maneuver around the building. “There will be enough room. We are 100 percent OK in doing whatever we have to do,” Wenzler said.
Henderson asked Wenzler the timeline for the project.
“It kind of depends on you guys,” Wenzler responded. “We can do it fairly quickly if you say we have to do it in a certain amount of time. Or we can do it in phase.”
Wenzler indicated he would prefer conducting the project in phases. “It’s nicer to do it in phases because sometimes it’s not economically feasible to put out all this money when you aren’t going to fill up the place for a year and a half or so,” he said.
“But we can go either way – all at one time or in phases. We’ll work with you,” Wenzler added.
Terry Baver is a reporter for the Register-Herald.
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