FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Flowery Branch City Council heard from representatives on Thursday seeking to rezone land to build a self-storage facility.
BLT Martin Road, LLC presented plans to construct a climate-controlled storage facility at 4153 Falcon Parkway in Flowery Branch. The building would be multi-leveled and allow locals to rent space and store items as needed. Flowery Branch staff recommended approval of the rezoning, as long as conditions in the city ordinance are met.
The applicant’s representative, Steven P. Gilliam, said that today’s self-storage complexes are more visually pleasing than single-story, garage-type units.
“A lot of times what you see with self-storage now, there’s self-storage right around apartments,” Gilliam said. “That’s exactly what this is. A lot of folks moved into apartments that don't have ground floors, don't have basements. So they have to have someplace to store their stuff.”
BLT Martin Road, LLC is seeking a Conditional Use Permit for the proposed construction. In 2020, the land in question was rezoned from Agricultural (A) to Highway Business (HB). The applicants originally intended on using the space for retail purposes, but have since adjusted their focus.
“This is due to shifting population demographics, the maturation of the submarket … and the completion of a first phase and commencement of a second phase of multifamily development adjacent to the site,” the application states. “Further, in the time since the original rezoning, the site has been marketed heavily for a retail user without any success.”
While Thursday’s city council meeting was only a public hearing for the potential rezoning, the council will undergo a work session regarding the matter on November 3. The first vote will take place on November 17. If more conditions need to be met, the council may opt for a second work session on December 1, with the final vote being on December 15.
