Does 'underserved' Bridgewater need a self-storage facility on Route 22?
BRIDGEWATER – A hearing on a proposal to demolish an office building and construct a self-storage facility on Route 22 will continue in March.
Chimney Rock Self Storage wants to build a three-story, 127,750-square-foot self-storage facility on a triangular lot with frontage on both westbound Route 22 and Donohue Road west of Vosseller Avenue.
The proposal is being heard by the Zoning Board of Adjustment because self-storage facilities are not permitted in the zone.
Steven Mlenak, attorney for Chimney Rock Self Storage, told the Board on Tuesday that the number of required design variances has been reduced following the Board's input at a previous meeting.
Residents of the neighborhood both north and south of Route 22 have expressed opposition to the plan.
Township resident John Lauencelle told the Board that Bridgewater "doesn't want to develop Route 22 like North Plainfield and Green Brook.
"We have horrible problems with traffic, lighting and flooding," he said.
Another self-storage company, Arthur's Self-Storage with facilities on Route 22 in Green Brook and Branchburg, has hired an attorney to officially object before the Board on the plan.
Matthew Lang, co-founder and chief operating officer of Snapbox Self-Storage, told the Board his firm will manage the facility and chose the location because the area is "underserved" by self-storage facilities.
The facility could have as many as 400 spaces, he said, and that would be only 15% of the market demand.
Lang said the 3.44-acre lot has "great visibility" and "good access" based on the drivetime of potential renters in the area.
Snapbox, he said, has 50 locations in 10 states and has been in business for 10 years. The company has nine locations in New Jersey with a 10th expected to open later this year.
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"We try to make this business a snap," Lang said.
Self-storage facilities are used by people going through "life events," he said.
Lang emphasized there is an "undersupply of climate-controlled" facilities in the area.
"Everybody needs storage," he said.
Renters of the spaces, which could range in size from 25 to 200 square feet, would have access to the facility 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The facility would employ two full-time workers who would be on site with overlapping hours Monday through Saturday.
Access to the building would be controlled through a keypad with a code given to renters, Lang said.
The average length of a rental is 14 to 16 months, he said.
The two full-time employees, while dealing with customers, would also perform security work and patrol the building. The facility would also have surveillance cameras and motion sensors, Lang said.
In response to a board member's question about a New York Post story about a couple living in a storage unit for 14 months, Lang said that was "not possible" in a Snapbox facility because of security practices.
Lang also assured the Board that the facility could not be retrofitted into a warehouse, explaining that the operation is "not conducive" to warehousing because there is not room for forklifts and the ceilings are too low.
"Self-storage is very different," he said.
The next public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for March 26. Special meetings may be scheduled after that.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Bridgewater NJ self-storage facility on Route 22 opposed by neighbors
