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Nov. 23, 2000 By Jim Mimiaga
While gas stations and car washes represent the latest trend in the city of Cortez, out in the county, storage units have become the business venture of choice in the last five years. "Now that we have a process where the planning office becomes involved and neighbors are notified, we anticipate seeing more of them," said Karen Welch, Montezuma County planning director. "We’re more aware of them now." But the perception of storage units as a relatively innocuous businesses with few impacts was challenged at last week’s meeting of the county planning commission. The board heard a proposal by landowner Jim Stephens to open a 43-unit facility off Highway 145 south of Hay Meadows that drew sharp criticism from neighbors concerned about increased traffic, noise, dust, road wear, lighting and loss of privacy if the project goes forward. Patty Randolph, a neighbor of Stephens’ property, opposed his plan and spoke of problems concerning use of a road she owns as access to the Stephens property. Neighbors enjoy easement rights to their property, as would Stephens if he goes ahead with the project. But for the last 20 years the Randolphs have done all the upkeep on the road, including graveling it, grading, weeding, and snow-plowing. "My main concern is increased traffic and people we don’t know going in and out of there," she said. "It is tough enough as it is now to keep that road maintained; more use will break it down even more, create more dust and end up costing me more money to maintain it." Stephens said that he assumed the road was county-owned and maintained and "felt guilty" that he had not helped keep it up. "I know I have not been around, but I would work with you on the road and as a business we would keep up the property better," he said. As presented to the planning commission, the 4,750-square-foot storage facility would have a part-time manager, security fencing and lighting. The commission recommended that a privacy fence be considered also to mitigate disrupted views, that road issues be adequately addressed, and that the time of operation be limited to avoid midnight forays by customers loudly rummaging through storage units. "One way to do that is to put up a gate and give each customer a code to get in. After hours it would not open," suggested planning-commission member Vern Aulston. "We are starting to see more of this type of system." Security lights would have to be directed only towards the building itself to avoid light pollution, and the location moved back to comply with regulations stipulating commercial businesses be at least 100 feet from adjoining property lines. Neighbor Mary Ellen Strand, herself a former storage-unit owner, warned that there is a misconception out there that the business is worry-free. "Unless there is someone there 24/7, there will be problems," she said. "It is not as easy as some think, it needs to be managed well." A public hearing on Stephens’ high-impact-permit request for storage units will take place before the county commissioners Dec. 18 at 11 a.m. in the commission room. Stephens said that the proposal is for the first phase and that there would be more built in the future on the five-acre lot. At the same meeting, the board recommended denial of another proposed storage unit that drew similar complaints because it did not meet the minimum requirements for setbacks and acreage. That storage facility would have only been 24 feet from the nearest neighbor. The owner has since withdrawn his request for a high-impact permit to build a small storage facility on one acre of land. The following Monday, upon the recommendations of the planning commission, the county commission:
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