Robinsonville Road self-storage decision delayed

A proposed 891-unit self-storage facility on Robinsonville Road near Angola drew support from area residents who say it is sorely needed in the growing area, as well as objections to the site along a road that has heavy traffic.

After a public hearing on the request for a conditional use for the project, Sussex County Council delayed a decision for up to three weeks because Councilwoman Jane Gruenebaum and council Vice President John Rieley were absent.

The 6.7-acre site is located between Robinsonville Road and Route 24, about a mile northwest of the intersection of the two roads. It is on the west side of Route 24 and the east side of Robinsonville Road. 

The Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval at its Jan. 8 meeting, with 13 conditions, including a landscaped perimeter buffer with fencing, preservation of 1.62 acres of woods, no outdoor storage and access from Robinsonville Road.

Rehoboth Family Storage LLC, a family-owned and -operated business, has requested permission to construct the project that includes three one-story storage buildings totaling about 125,000 square feet.

The company is owned by the Soltesz family, which owns and operates six similar facilities with more than 5,000 total units. Bill Soltesz of Rehoboth Beach and three family members own the business.

“I promise you, this will look more like a park than a business,” he told the council.

Tan and green buildings would blend into the environment on the landscaped property, Soltesz said.

“We are keeping the vast majority of trees around the perimeter of the property, which will screen the view from the road, except the entrance on Robinsonville Road and around a sign on Route 24,” he said.

Customers could only access the site from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily, and the rental office will be closed on Sundays, Soltesz said.

The business is expected to have 30 vehicle trips per day, said Mackenzie Peet, an attorney with the law firm of Saul Ewing LLP, who represented the developer and outlined the project at the meeting.

Soltesz said customers usually only visit to drop off items and pick them up, and the average duration of a rental is seven months.

Several residents at the meeting urged the board to approve the project to help fill a shortage in the number of self-storage units in the growing community, while another was concerned about the entrance.

Dustin Oldfather of Milton, a real estate agent for the Oldfather Group of Compass Real Estate, based in Lewes, said there is a demand for storage.

“As a real estate agent active in Sussex County and leading a team of real estate agents who have represented close to 4,000 transactions, I see first-hand the demand for secure, climate-controlled self-storage,” he said. “Growth in our county is continuing at a rapid pace, actually outpacing much of the region. With it comes the need for real storage solutions that support residents through key life transitions.”

Ian Amdor of Lewes raised concerns about the access off Robinsonville Road. 

“We have over 5,000 homes in about a three-mile radius that have been built in the last two years,” Amdor said. “The traffic along Robinsonville Road has increased dramatically.” 

“We bought into this community because we felt that the zoning favored the homeowners in having high-quality residential properties,” he added. “Putting commercial properties on Robinsonville Road creates a problem for us.”