Council Rejects Plan for Storage Facility

The City Council has unanimously rejected a self-storage facility project on the basis it did not the meet the city’s vision for the future downtown area.

In the Wednesday decision, the council opposed construction of the planned 72,400-square-foot facility at Spring Road and Flinn Avenue.

Not being a retail business, the project would do nothing to stop the city’s “sales-tax leakage” and would not create jobs, Mayor Patrick Hunter said.

Councilman John Wozniak, echoing views of other members, said he liked the design of the project, but wished it had been proposed elsewhere in the city.

“Is this the right place to put this project? Does it work here?” Wozniak asked. “Not in my mind.”

During previous meetings, the council requested design changes to improve the look of the project but had never indicated it would reject the proposal.

The developer, Newport Beach-based Polo Properties, and the landowner, William Bromiley, said they had been misled by the council.

“They did not lead us to believe they would disapprove,” said Joanne Geiler, who along with her husband, Dennis, owns Polo Properties. “You cannot treat people like this.”

Dennis Geiler said Polo Properties has spent more than $110,000 the past two years to have the storage facility meet revisions demanded by the Planning Commission and the council.

He said the firm spent the money on city, architectural-design and extension fees on closing escrow.

Asked about the possibility of a lawsuit, Geiler said, “There’s always that chance--especially when the city collects fees and holds you in for two years.”