P&Z Reviewing Proposed Hawleyville Warehouse Expansion

By Andrew Gorosko

The Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) is reviewing revisions made to a proposed warehouse expansion project at the Hawleyville Industrial Park, where a moving and storage firm wants to greatly increase its storage space for furniture.

Engineer Matthew Scully, representing Braun Moving, Inc, at a July 6 P&Z public hearing, described various changes that the firm had made to its warehouse expansion proposal since a June 15 P&Z public hearing on the project.

Issues discussed on July 6 included vehicle parking, the installation of guardrailing, and the reconfiguration of a proposed stormwater detention basin on the site.

In order to make the perimeter of the proposed expanded warehouse at 46 Barnabas Road a more regular shape, the applicant proposes decreasing the size of the warehouse expansion from 83,500 square feet to 80,945 square feet, according to Mr Scully.

When added to the existing 48,000-square-foot warehouse, the expansion would increase the facility’s size to approximately 129,000 square feet.

Mr Scully told P&Z members that the proposed expanded warehouse would lie about one-half mile away from the Currituck Road properties whose owners had expressed concerns about the visual impact of the project at the June 15 public hearing.

At that session, resident Mike Sanchez of 137 Currituck Road, and resident Dan Faccenda of 135 Currituck Road expressed concerns about the prospect of having a view of a massive warehouse from their homes. The expanded warehouse would cover almost three acres.

Mr Scully assured P&Z members that suitable trees would be planted near the warehouse to provide visual screening for the project.

The new construction would occur on the north side of Barnabas Road. That road parallels the westbound lanes of Interstate 84, linking Tunnel Road to Hawleyville Road. The site provides the moving firm with easy access to the Exit 9 interchange of Interstate 84.

The tall one-story building expansion would visually match the warehouse that now stands on the site. Twenty-three employees would work at the expanded facility, which is located in a M-1 (Industrial) zone.

In 2001, P&Z members approved an initial construction proposal for a 19,764-square-foot warehouse. In 2003, the P&Z approved expanding the warehouse from 19,764 square feet to 48,013 square feet.

Various household goods, such as furniture, are stored within the warehouse. The average time that items are stored there is about one year. Such storage occurs when families are waiting to make residential moves.

P&Z members are expected to act on the warehouse expansion proposal at an upcoming session.