Another storage facility will go up in Palm Coast, this one on 12 acres owned by a church on North Old Kings Road, about a mile north of Palm Coast Parkway.
The facility will be on the west side of Old Kings Road, parallel to I-95 to the west and the backyards of the houses along Foxhall Lane on the east side of Old Kings Road. First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Palm Coast, which owns the land, is immediately to the north of the acreage, with the Palm Coast Elks Lodge to the south.
The church bought the 15-acre parcel in 1997 for $88,500. The land is valued at over $800,000 today, according to the property appraiser. The storage facility would occupy 12 of the 15 acres.
The Palm Coast planning board approved a special exception to the commercially zoned parcel to allow for the storage facility. One of its members asked a question on many residents’ mind: “There seems to be a proliferation of storage facilities in Flagler County, Palm Coast,” David Ferguson asked a representative of the applicant. “How do you decide it’s a good business decision?”
A representative of the developer said it does “significant market research to understand the market demand of the area,” taking into account existing and planned facilities, rental rates, and so on.
“Over the past three years self-storage occupancy rates have risen from around 90% to as much as 96%,” The Economist reported in June. “Demand has been especially high in Florida, Texas and the sunbelt.” The migration is led by homebuyers looking for smaller homes, mostly in residential zones that don’t allow the parking of commercial or recreational vehicles.
The representative of the Old Kings facility referred to “very robust software” that the developer uses to understand how to respond to demand.
The Economist specified: “Storage firms have also embraced dynamic-pricing software. Knowing up-to-the-minute market rates allows them to avoid undercharging customers. This is of a piece with the sector’s operational efficiency (a small staff keeps labour costs low; preparing a unit for a new customer requires little more than a quick sweep) and with its drive to modernise.”
The Old Kings Road facility will employ only two to three full-time people, with video surveillance.
Planning Director Ray Tyner noted that even approved applications do not translate to actual buildings. “I know that we’ve had several special exemptions that were approved, but there are several that have not been constructed,” Tyner said. “I don’t know if they ever will be constructed.”
The three-story building will be 91,000 square feet (about half the size of a Walmart Supercenter), accommodating 619 indoor storage units and 146 outdoor, covered recreational vehicle and boat storage spaces. The site includes wetlands along Old Kings Road that will be preserved, as will a 70-foot-wide wooded buffer between Old Kings Road and the covered RV and boat storage section. The buffer of wetlands and woods will be more than twice as wide between the road and the three-story building.
The planning board ratified a dozen conditions for the special exception–conditions typically imposed on storage facilities in the city–prohibiting on-site maintenance on vehicles other than basic washing and detailing, tire changing and other such minor, routine matters. Curbing will be required along all paved areas bordering the floodplain, to reduce contamination. No on-site leasing or rental of boats will be allowed, nor could storage units be used as business or retail fronts. Commercial signage, other than the facility’s own, will be prohibited.
The applicant is engineer Wesley Mills of Mills, Short and Associates of Vero Beach. The proposal drew no input or concerns from neighboring property owners as the application was processing. The city informed 21 property owners by certified mail of the application–essentially, most of the property owners along Foxhall Lane.
The application was approved unanimously. The developer will next submit a technical site plan. That will be reviewed by city planners and brought to the planning board for approval. Like last week’s approval of the special exception, the site plan will not go before the City Council.
David Schaefer says
Really another eye sore for this city….
Scotty says
New Jersey south …..ugh!!!
Enough says
Another one?? Just what we need. Forget about better shopping areas; actual real restaurants instead of fast food; Hey, let’s get another gas station.. we don’t have enough of those (LOL). Keep building homes and apartments that are unaffordable to those making $12.00 an hour! I guess when people from other states come to Palm Coast to explore living here, Council can sell them on bike trails. How about enticing real bakeries instead of the crap that comes out of what’s here now!! What an absolute farce this council is !! No foresight whatsoever! Love to see whose pockets are being lined with the green stuff!
John says
Palm Coast is nothing but fast food restaurants and strip malls. Forget the so called Town Center it is nothing but another strip mall.
Palm Coast has no charm or character and the Mayor isn’t helping, all he wants to do is build houses on ever piece of vacant land. So a long with the empty store fronts it can have empty new homes.
ELLEN says
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU.
Me says
Just what we need another storage unit. HaHa!
Rick says
Check the politicians of the City of Palm Coast – Bank Accounts., bet they are growing from sneaky money from all these Developers that are Destroying Palm Coast – another cesspool in the making, like South Florida and the Orlando areas, traffic in already a nightmare, and Staleys Bunch do as much policing as the birds in the trees, you all better start looking to get the heck out of Palm Coast and get prime for your home and get out of this State till it all becomes a Cesspool ! Got offers on our house and going to run as fast as we can from this Cesspool in the making.
Bee says
Maybe these things are the next version of “Affordable Tiny House Living”. Ridiculous!
Laurel says
So, will the church pay taxes, or just take in the money? How does this help the area?
Apparently, church people don’t give any more of a damn about the area or wildlife than any other greedy people.
Look, folks, if you need to store stuff for a couple months while you move, or build a house, okay. But if you are storing junk just to store junk, then you are being foolish. You could buy a new couch many times over. These storage units are counting on you to not use your heads. Let them stay empty, then there will be no more units.
By the time you buy a RV, or boat, make payments and pay for storage, you’ve already lost. So has the neighborhood. You could have stayed in nice hotels over and over. Think about it.
Kevin says
This town is joke, all asphalt, gas stations, strip malls!
The Sour Kraut says
“The Palm Coast planning board approved a special exception to the commercially zoned parcel to allow for the storage facility.”
What a surprise, NOT. Whatever the developers want, Palm Coast board approves.
Ken says
The Mayor himself is in real estate so what do you expect!! You would think it’s a conflict of interest. This city is so corrupt and definitely NOT for the people here!!!
vance hoffman says
I love all the jobs this will create maybe 4 or 5. That’s great long term thinking we all need new representation in Palm Coast I refuse to believe this is the best we an do. How about turning down some bad ideas for some good ones. How is this continuing to happen over and over.
Robin says
Storage buildings, as with manufactured home communities are ‘cash cows’ for the owners. Do the math: monthly rental rates times the number of units= a solid revenue stream for the owners, which often turn out to be equity firms or insurance companies. Follow the money.
Steve says
Correct and huge money makers like Hotels without the people. Then when Units go into default they hold Auctions and make more money. BTW rates continue to climb after the first term/contract is up. Cash Cow all the way there are some Closed End Investment Funds that deal specifically in this sector.
Bartholomew says
Storage facilities are a way generate some income while you wait for the land value in crease more
FlaPharmTech says
Absurd. What a commentary on our society – storage units to hold our unnecessary stuff. My dad, now deceased, maintained a storage unit filled with stuff. He really could not afford it, but heckya let’s keep that stuff!
And in other news, the domesticated deer butchered by Palm Coast law enforcement??!!! This TOWN needs to grow up and get with the times.
Land of no turn signals says says
Finally something Palm Coast is in need of.
bill says
this is another joke by the city government find out who is invested in the storage units, city council members mayor county commissioners, county politicians, the city the county is corrupt time to pack the bags look for something else. It started out nice to live here 20 years ago now it’s turning into another congested city nothing worthwhile circulating your money here for shopping or eating I go north to spend my money this mayor needs to be voted out. He’s a joke. He’s in the real state him and his wife he’s not to be trusted.
Aleksey says
Not voting for the re election of Mayor David Alfin. At this rate, Palm Coast will become the next Daytona Beach, but without the racetrack. Please be selective of the businesses approved.
Shark says
Welcome to Palm Coast. The land of storage facilities and pizza joints !!!
DAve says
I guess I missed my calling to start a STORAGE Business. These things are going up everywhere and in every city in FLA. What a racket. Developers build homes WITH NO STORAGE, and their friends build storage units to accommodate the storage needs. What a game.
For Flagler Cty: Per month cost.
Size – Average
5×5 – $74
5×10 – $114
10×10 – $153
10×15 – $215
Laurel says
Dave: I goes deeper. The next step is for the commissioners, or zoning board, disallow you to keep your boat or rv on your property. Guess where it has to go?
bill says
someone should check on the ownership of all the storage units in the city they will more likely they will see a lot of political names, professional people like doctors and lawyers I wouldn’t be surprised if the mayors name owns one of the units the whole unit
Been There says
What the heck?! Is there no conscience decision making going on here? The city keeps allowing prime commercial real estate to be sucked up by non-employment producing monstrosities instead of waiting for companies that will provide the citizens of Palm Coast an opportunity to earn a wage through job creation. This is so irresponsible. At LEAST, the city could require these storage facilities to dedicate a certain square footage towards retail space that will accommodate jobs. I don’t mean the storage facilities’ retail office either. That is a job for ONE. Let’s focus on keeping our city beautiful AND creating jobs. That is what the Economic Development Manager’s job is. Oh wait, the City doesn’t have one. There was one, but she didn’t last a year after she saw how the city is being run by a handful of players who’s only concern is making themselves rich.
Lil says
So…….. What about new schools since we’ve rezoned due to overcapacity. New houses? Yes. New housing complex? Why not. More storage facilities? Of course. New schools for all the families that will be moving here, plus the students we currently have to bus way across town? Don’t be ridiculous!
Judging by all these comments, we all agree that the last thing we need is another storage facility. Do the elected officials REALLY work for the the residents?
Laurel says
Lil: No.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Surprise,Surprise.. another tall structure to look down and cast it’s light across on a neighborhood just like the new hospital.
Aj says
That is a large parcel. Pass it every day. With the influx of homes and bodies coming to the area, there is a much better use than a storage facility.
A park. Not a linear park (haha) playground park. Basket court.. An amphitheater. There isn’t all that much of that type of recreation in that area of palm coast.
Laurel says
Palm Coast doesn’t have diddly shit to do. That’s why everyone heads to Flagler Beach, or the over crowed ICW.
Mike says
This city government is so corrupt. They have the developers in their pockets and could care less about the residents while their bank accounts continue to grow!
Laurel says
Mike: And have you noticed that they don’t deny it?