By Greg Ellison

(Feb. 17, 2022) The Berlin Planning Commission signed off on a site plan review for 500-plus self-storage units on Evans Road during its Feb. 10 meeting.

Contingent on aesthetic details, commission members approved the Evans Road Warehouse Park slated for roughly 5 acres adjacent to West Street.

Chris Carbaugh and Jason Lindsey with Atlantic Group Associates presented site renderings developed for Evans Parc LLC and Managing Partner Mark Slavin.

Carbaugh said 511 self-storage units are proposed on the 4.91-acre parcel zoned B-2 shopping district.

“Storage facilities are allowed,” he said.

The project would involve 10 one-story buildings in total, including a 400-square-foot office near the entrance.

Screenshot Bayside Gazette
The Berlin Planning Commission gave a favorable recommendation for the Evans Road Warehouse Park site plan last week.

“It retains approximately 28 percent open space,” he said.

Carbaugh said the exterior of the structures would be in neutral beige and green hues.

“It would be phased-in project,” he said.

Lindsey said storage units would range in size from 5-by-5 to 10-by-20-foot and the site would be secured with black chain-link fencing.

In terms of potential traffic generation, Carbaugh said storage clients typically make infrequent trips.

“From my experience it’s not something that creates excessive traffic,” he said.

Commission Vice-Chairman Ron Cascio inquired about on-site illumination impacting the surrounding area.

“Would they be down-lit so people in the community would not see the lights?” he asked.

Carbaugh said lighting would be directed to be unobtrusive with existing vegetation on the perimeter of the property supplemented where needed.

“We’ll keep existing vegetation where we can,” he said.

Commission member Pete Cosby recommended site plan approval should be contingent on including dense perimeter vegetation.

“We’re looking for serious blockage here from Evans Road,” he said. “Not just low bushes, but high stuff.”

Carbaugh assured commission members that the site would be appropriately landscaped.

Cosby confirmed yet-to-be-designed signs would not be illuminated.

Carbaugh said signs would be unlit and aesthetically appropriate for Berlin, while also offering to include design review as an approval condition.

Planning Director Dave Engelhart said the parcel, which was annexed into town limits roughly two decades ago, would tap into water and sewer services.

Engelhart noted stormwater would have to be handled onsite.

“If they can’t handle the stormwater onsite, then they have to come up with their own facilities,” he said. “They can’t discharge their stormwater off site, they have to engineer that into the site.”

Carbaugh said project renderings include a large area for that purpose.

Cosby made a motion that received unanimous support to approve site plans contingent on landscaping, lighting and signage concerns.