An orderly row of shipping containers on a property in west end Belleville (Photo/Quinte News)
A long discussion over storage units on a rural property in Thurlow ward could be almost resolved at Belleville council’s meeting Tuesday afternoon.
In September of 2016 the owner of 970 Highway 37, Glen Jarrell, applied for rezoning to allow up to 300 storage units in the form of shipping containers on the unused property.
It had been the site of Caddy’s Beef House.
In the spring of 2017, city planning staff gave the Planning Advisory Committee the option of either allowing 76 well kept “traditionally built” storage units or 76 well kept shipping containers.
In a report, staff preferred traditionally built units for aesthetic reasons and there were concerns about the shipping containers providing unfair competition to existing storage businesses.
Shortly thereafter, the Planning Advisory Committee voted to only allow rezoning for 76 traditionally built units.
Council supported the committee’s decision.
Jarrell appealed that decision to the Ontario Municipal Board, stating that the shipping containers had already been legally defined as “buildings” and were commonly used as storage units and in some cases were being used as residences.
Although an OMB hearing was scheduled for late last month it was put on hold as council directed staff to negotiate a resolution.
Tuesday, council will be asked to approve an agreement allowing 76 shipping containers to be used for storage units as long as several landscaping orders are met by the owner.
If approved by council, the deal will go to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal for approval, which is the new form of the Ontario Municipal Board.
