BAPC considers approval of inside storage facility in downtown Worland

WORLAND — An inside mini storage unit will be coming to Worland soon, as soon as approval is granted from the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission and Worland City Council.

BAPC Board Member Dan Frederick approached the board at its regular meeting as a business owner seeking approval for an secure, inside storage unit facility.

The facility would be located at 834 Big Horn across from city hall. Fredericks said the building he owns is now vacant after Wyoming Weatherization moved out of the facility.

The need for approval is that storage facility is not an approved use in the central business district zone.

The board discussed adding the use of an indoor storage unit to specific zones, which would need council approval.

Due to a lack of a quorum at Thursday’s meeting no decision was made. Landis Benson, who was filling in as chairman suggested they take a vote via email in order to make a recommendation to the council for the Sept. 15 meeting.

Frederick said there are several outside storage facilities in town but no indoor facilities. This would be climate controlled. There would a key entry into the facility for renters and then each storage unit would have individual locks for added security feature.

Frederick said with the room in the building he could put about 75 units in. Most are five feet wide and between six to 14-feet long.

He said the inside storage facilities started in about 2010 in larger cities but have not trickled down to a smaller communities like Worland until now. He said indoor facilities allow stored items to be protected from cold, heat, moisture and dirt.

There is concern about parking and traffic at the corner location. “Most units are twice this size and they see one or two people per day once the facility is constructed.

The back garage door would be used for loading and unloading and would be accessible only to those renting a unit.

There would be no loading or unloading in the front of the facility along Big Horn Avenue.

He is working with Janus International on the facility.

In other news discussed at the BAPC Thursday meeting, Building Official Randy Adams said that the downtown historical study should be starting soon by High Plains Architects out of Billings.

The study is paid for in part by a $9,000 a grant from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), submitted through Washakie County on behalf of the Washakie County Historic Preservation Commission. The BAPC has pledged up to $3,000 for the project that is a reconnaissance inventory of properties that predate the modern era, specifically those that predate 1950 as defined in the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Plan 2016-2020.

According to the grant application, “The Washakie County Historic Preservation Commission intends to conduct a reconnaissance inventory of buildings and preparation of Wyoming Building Reconnaissance forms and a Wyoming Inventory Report for History Worland, Wyoming. This project has been selected as a focus for the Commission at the request of the City of Worland.” The project is focused on the original town plat, Court Place, First Addition, Second Addition, Pulliam and Randel, particularly the retail businesses and civic buildings including the city hall and the county courthouse. The area runs primarily from Railway east to 15th Street and Pulliam south to Grace Avenue.

Per a preliminary timeline, a draft report from the consultants would be due by March 1, 2021 and a deadline for comments by April 15, 2021. A final report would be due June 15, 2021, with a final report submitted to the State Historic Preservation Office by Aug. 31, 2021.

Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Glanz said they have received no applicants for the vacant position on the board.