UPDATE: Cape Coral Suspends Self-Storage Moratorium

Posted by Modern Storage Media on Oct 24, 2024 8:30:00 AM

UPDATE: 10/24/22

Council members in Cape Coral, Florida, have approved an amendment to its land-development code in a 7-1 vote that suspends the moratorium on self-storage facilities and car washes. Under the amendment, new facilities must have a one-mile separation between them and be a minimum of 500 feet from major intersections. Previous requirements reported on 10/4/24 (below) were also approved. Requirements for self-storage projects that offer vehicle storage will be addressed at a later date.

UPDATE: 10/4/24

Council members in Cape Coral, Florida have reconvened regarding the development self-storage facilities and car washes within the city and suggested regulations for new projects. The additional requirements under consideration are as follows:

All storage facilities must have a mixed-use component, with no units on the first floor.
Storage buildings must be enclosed structures that appear to have multiple floors.
Facilities must meet certain design aesthetics, with perimeter barriers and landscaping.
Parking areas and loading/unloading zones must facing away from residential districts and right of ways.
The amount of self-storage will be capped at 10 square feet per city resident.

MSM will continue to monitor this developing story.

UPDATE: APRIL 18, 2024

Cape Coral council members have voted yes to no longer accepting applications for self-storage facilities. Applications pending before this vote will not be impacted. The self-storage moratorium will end on April 17, 2025.

Council members can also shorten the time frame if they feel it is necessary in the future. They told media outlets that it was a difficult decision because they are supporters of property rights, "but also support smart growth in Cape Coral."

PREVIOUS STORY: MARCH 20, 2024, "Cape Coral, FL Considers Self-Storage Moratorium"

Last year, in a unanimous decision, the city of Cape Coral, Fla. had approved a moratorium on new self-storage facilities until January 2024 (read about the temporary self storage ban here). This nine-month period was designed to halt self-storage expansion and give city leaders time to consider and/or adopt new regulations around the construction of self-storage facilities.

Now that the period is over, ordinances that would impose a moratorium on new self-storage facilities and car washes will be introduced at a Cape Coral city council meeting later today. Should the ordinances advance to a second public hearing, the city would no longer accept applications for, or issue permits for, any new self-storage or car wash facility within any zoning district in the city.

According to Ordinance 15-24, there is approximately 1.5 million square feet of existing self-storage space in Cape Coral and 1.6 million square feet in the permitting process or under construction. The ordinance states, “in order to prevent the proliferation of self-storage facilities consuming essential commercial property, too fast, in close proximity to one another, it is necessary to study the issue to determine the numbers and locations that are appropriate to the city.”