Whittier : Mini-Storage Units Allowed

Rejecting the recommendation of the Planning Commission, the Whittier City Council has voted to allow construction of 170,000 square feet of mini-storage units behind 50 homes north of Lambert Road.

Property owner Robert Lasken appealed to the City Council after the Planning Commission decided that the storage units would not be compatible with the adjacent low-density residential area. The former railroad right of way, which measures 60 by 2,600 feet, borders the back yards of homes on Flomar Drive.

About 25 homeowners attended the meeting in opposition to the project, voicing fears that the units might be used to store hazardous chemicals and that the project would harm residential property values.

But Councilman Robert F. Woehrmann, in voting for the project, said the storage units would be compatible with the neighborhood since Lasken has complied with 22 modifications requested by the city. The council voted unanimously to grant Lasken a conditional use permit to build the storage units.

The project has been pending at City Hall for months. Lasken first requested a zone change from residential to transitional so he could build the storage units, then had to obtain a conditional use permit for the project. The Planning Commission supported the zone change but opposed Lasken’s project.