Police arrested a woman this week who allegedly tried to run over her husband during an argument at Plunk’s Self Storage in West Monroe, La. Loretta Castillo, 44, was charged with domestic-abuse battery and domestic-abuse aggravated assault as a result of the altercation, which occurred on Sept. 9. Bail has yet to be set, according to the source.

Castillo and her husband, who ran a window-tinting business out of a unit at storage facility, were on the property together when the husband decided to help an ex-girlfriend, the source reported. Castillo became angry, grabbing her husband by the shirt and attempting to strangle him. She then tried to run him over with her sports-utility vehicle five times, and later attempted to ram his Corvette, which was parked at the back of the facility.

The victim’s ex-girlfriend, who witnessed the fight, contacted the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. An arrest warrant for Castillo was filed with the court on Sept. 19. Detectives spoke with Castillo, a resident of Downsville, La., over the phone and arranged a meeting with her, but she didn’t show.

Plunk’s Self Storage operates two facilities in West Monroe, La., one on Jonesboro Road and another on Rock Hill Drive, according to Google search. The source did not indicate which facility was the site of the incident.

Source:
The News Star, OPSO: Downsville Woman Tried to Run Over Husband

Update 3/7/18 – 1784 Capital Holdings has broken ground on its new storage facility in Oro Valley. The three-story property at 11061 N. Oracle Road is expected to open by the end of the year, according to a press release. The $10 million development will be managed by Life Storage Inc., a self-storage real estate investment trust and property-management company.

The facility will contain three floors above ground and one below. Amenities will include a customer lounge, children’s play area, individually alarmed units and video cameras.

“We were drawn to Oro Valley because of the area’s thoughtful development policies and dedication to community integrity,” said Shane Albers, CEO and chairman of 1784 Capital. “We feel privileged to be a part of this community, and we look forward to providing a state-of-the-art environment that elevates consumers’ self-storage experience while continuing to raise industry standards.”

The property is near Oro Valley’s Innovation Park, a master-planned business development that’s home to Honeywell, Northwest Medical Center and several pharmaceutical companies. “Oro Valley is emerging as a regional center for the biotech industry, and these growing companies are expanding the local population,” said Kelly McKone, executive vice president of real estate for 1784 Capital. “Many of these professionals move to the area for a limited time and are in need of quality self-storage to enhance their lifestyle.”

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3/24/17 – The Oro Valley Town Council has unanimously removed a restriction against indoor self-storage facilities in Steam Pump Village and approved the architectural concept and parking for the storage project proposed by developer 1784 Capital Holdings LLC. The company intends to build a 107,000-square-foot structure, with 80,000 square feet reserved for self-storage. It will offer more than 700 climate-controlled units, according to the source.

Landscaping plans include natural features along Cañada Del Oro Wash and connectivity to a multi-use trail that will feature a roof trellis.

The council’s decision followed approvals by the conceptual design review board and planning and zoning commission. The favorable view runs contrary to the town’s planned area development guidelines adopted in 1996, which didn’t permit self-storage. The use was specifically prohibited from the ordinance in 2011, the source reported.

The willingness of 1784 Capital and RKAA Architects Inc. to design a facility to fit in with the aesthetics of the community helped make the proposal a “unique project” for Steam Pump, according to Bayer Vella, town planning manager and planning and zoning administrator.

Seven residents and business owners spoke against the project during the March 15 meeting. Those in opposition included Chris Monson, owner of Arizona Self Storage, and Edna Castaneda, facility manager of the company’s Oro Valley location. Both contended the traffic estimates provided by the developer were too light. Keri Silvyn, an attorney representing 1784 Capital, estimated the facility would draw up to 12 visits per day, but Castaneda and Monson indicated Arizona Self-Storage facilities average between 35 and 50 cars per day, with the Oro Valley location experiencing up to 90 visits daily. Oro Valley officials used traffic figures provided by public works director Paul Keesler, which estimated 132 trips per day with a peak of 14 per hour, the source reported.

There are two self-storage facilities within a one-mile radius of the building site.

Some residents also argued against the aesthetics of the building and raised concerns about traffic safety due to the property’s proximity to a BASIS charter school.

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2/20/17 – The Oro Valley, Ariz., Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 7 voted unanimously to recommend a self-storage proposal for the Steam Pump Village development area. The three-story facility would be built on more than 1 acre north of Steam Pump Ranch and west of a Quick Trip gas station. As designed, the building would be 48 feet tall and resemble an office building to fit the intended use of the site, according to the source. The ground floor would preserve 3,800 square feet for office or retail use.

The commission supported the project despite residential opposition and a self-storage exclusion rule that was adopted in 1988 as part of the Planned Area Development plan for the property. The design submitted to the town includes faux windows and colors consistent with nearby development, the source reported.

“The stated intent of not permitting mini-storage facilities was to maintain a high-quality development and to prohibit uses that are not compatible with the site,” principal planner Chad Daines told the commission. “Historically, mini-storage facilities have consisted of long, linear buildings with roll-up doors and units that are accessed by drive aisles. These facilities have evolved over the years to include indoor, climate-controlled facilities; and with proper design, these facilities can have more of an office appearance and can be compatible with retail development, such as the Steam Pump Village development.”

The application asks for a change in parking standard and an increase in allowable floor area ratio, according to the source. The project would be restricted from having “outdoor rental displays or activity, corporate graphics or activity from within the units.”

Among the concerns raised by residents were parking, safety at the facility, lack of sales-tax revenue and increased traffic. Several residents also suggested turning the property into a park.

The proposal must still be addressed by the conceptual design review board and town council.

Sources:
Tucson Local Media, Oro Valley Unanimously Removes Storage Prohibition for Single Property Within Steam Pump Village
Tucson Local Media, Planning and Zoning Gives Go Ahead on Storage Facility at Steam Pump Ranch Application Still Needs to Make the Rounds Through Another Board and Town Council

Zippboxx LLC, a startup business specializing in valet self-storage in Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan and Queens, N.Y., intends to expand services this year behind a wide-scale marketing campaign. The company uses an online platform that allows customers to schedule item pickup, maintain a visual catalog of stored belongings, and schedule delivery of items to their home.

Zippboxx initially targeted students and residents who needed space for seasonal storage, but co-founders Rob Marchese and Rick Stark have found that most customers have stored items for a set duration before moving all belongings out at once. “We didn’t do marketing in the first year, which has been research and development for us,” Marchese told the source. “It’s been building our concept, understanding our systems and getting the software down pat. Coming into this season, we are really going to ramp up our marketing and expand our fleet of vehicles. This season is going to tell us a lot more about our capabilities.”

The company, self-funded for about $1 million, also intends to seek outside investment, Marchese said.

While other valet-storage operators have concentrated on by-the-bin storage and delivery services, Zippboxx offers six space packages ranging from 25 to 200 square feet. Items are stored in a secure warehouse in Hauppague, N.Y. The smallest package is priced at $105 per month for a three-month stay, while the largest plan is $459 monthly. The company requires either a three- or 12-month commitment, with pricing reduced for the longer agreement, according to the company website.

Individual bins are affixed with a security seal and locked with a zip tie for security. Customers can manage their belongings through their online account. Return deliveries are given a two-hour window and are typically completed within 24 hours of the request, the source reported. Delivery fees are $35 per hour or $55 per hour per Zippboxx employee, depending on the customer’s plan. Items weighing more than 35 pounds require two movers to handle, according to the website.

Customers may also schedule to pick up requested items directly from the company’s storage facility at 923 B Motor Parkway, with 24- to 36-hour notice. Items restricted from storage include artwork, breakables, fine art, glass, jewelry, liquids and mirrors.

New York City has been among the most active valet-storage markets. Providers servicing the area include Bin It, Box Butler, Closetbox, Clutter, MakeSpace Labs Inc. and RedBin.

Sources:
SpareFoot Storage Beat, Zippboxx Brings More On-Demand Storage to Space-Starved New Yorkers
Zippboxx, Website

Update 3/6/18 – VentureSpace has yet to decide if it will move forward with its mixed-use project for New Berlin following pushback from residents last month. The company might even sell the property if it becomes too difficult to meet demands from the city and community, Frede told a source.

“We have communicated with the city and we are not quite sure how we want to proceed,” Frede said. “We need to make a financial decision and we just haven’t made that yet.”

Since the public hearing, Ament told Frede he needs to address resident concerns and create a more “palatable” plan. In particular, city officials want to see changes to the number of proposed units, and specific information about property setbacks and how the company will use screening for the parcel, which is between National and Racine Avenues.

“If we think it’s good enough, we will hold another public-information meeting,” Ament said. “We don’t want to have them spend money on design only for it to be shot down.”

Frede noted the company isn’t facing any deadlines to make a decision about the project, but is considering its options. “We definitely don’t want to sit on it real long,” he said.

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2/5/18 – Several residents who could be impacted by the VentureSpace proposal to replace the former Prospect Hill Elementary School with self-storage and commercial condos spoke against the project last week. Those living near the site didn’t like the prospect of an industrial development in the neighborhood, according to the source. Approximately 75 residents attended the 2.5-hour meeting.

“I think the biggest thing was that they were concerned this could create a business park,” Ament told the source. “They didn’t like the density; there were too many units; and they were uncomfortable that the questions and answers were vague at this point about where the entrance would be.”

Though the majority of residents in attendance protested the plan, Frede said several called or e-mailed him the next day to indicate their support. The developer told the source he’d follow up with city officials to gauge their opinions. “If they are against it, it won’t go any further,” he said. “If they are supportive, we will look to adjusting the concept and have another public meeting.”

The city remains neutral on the subject because no formal proposal has been submitted. “We don’t know how many units they’re talking; we don’t know about the entrances; we don’t know about traffic impact,” Ament said. “We do know that the vast majority of the people at the meeting (last Tuesday) and the one about a year ago do not like the idea for a lot of reasons, and they are the ones that would have to live with it.”

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1/25/18 – VentureSpace LLC, a commercial real estate developer specializing in duplex-style commercial condominiums, has acquired a property in New Berlin, Wis., half of which will be sold to a self-storage company, with a condo complex to be built on the remaining parcel. The site at 5330 Racine Ave. housed the former Prospect Hill Elementary School, which has been vacant for more than a decade, according to the source.

VentureSpace owner Michael Frede will present his plan to residents during a Jan. 30 neighborhood meeting, which will be co-hosted by Mayor Dave Ament, and aldermen Ken Harenda and Keith Heun.

“The reason we are having a public meeting is because we like to get input and feedback from people living in the area. We want to be sensitive to people’s concerns, and feedback can influence how our development would actually look,” Frede told the source. “We don’t want to be a thorn in people’s sides.”

Based in Nashotah, Wis., VentureSpace is focusing on condo developments in the southeastern portion of the state, according to its website. It has properties in Oconomowoc and Sussex, and is developing a mixed-use project in Cedarburg, which is expected to include self-storage.

Its condominiums are targeted at businesses and hobbyists. The typical unit size is 1,500 square feet with 14-foot ceilings. Custom options include air conditioning and bathrooms.

Sources:
GM Today, Developer Uncertain About Prospect Hill Plans after Pushback
GM Today: Neighborhood Meeting Set for Prospect Hill School Redevelopment Plan
GM Today: Residents Oppose Commercial Development at Prospect Hill School Site in New Berlin
VentureSpace: Website

Developer Robert Pitts received approval last week to build a new self-storage facility on 26 acres of land he owns in Vernon Township, Pa. Pitts intends to construct two buildings containing 20 units each at 14458 Conneaut Lake Road. Each building will be 20 feet wide and 100 feet long. If the units lease up quickly, Pitt might add two more structures next year, according to the source.

A public hearing was held prior to the supervisor’s work session to discuss the proposal, which required a special-use permit, said Robert Horvat, township manager and zoning officer. Chairman Don Maloney and supervisors Joseph Baiera, Gregory Smith and Gary Wagner all voted in favor of the zoning request during a March 1 meeting.

Known as the “Golden Link” for its central location between Conneaut Lake and Meadville, Vernon Township is the business center of Crawford County, according to its website.

Source:
The Meadville Tribune, Vernon Leaders Approve New Self-Storage Facility in the Township

National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSAT), a Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in self-storage, has acquired Cecil’s Mill Self Storage in Great Hills, Md. The facility at 20184 Point Lookout Road sits on 4.06 acres. It comprises 54,135 net rentable square feet in 482 units, 29 parking spaces and “miscellaneous units,” according to a press release from SkyView Advisors, the self-storage investment-sales and advisory firm that helped broker the deal.

The property is visible to more than 20,000 vehicles per day, the release stated.

NSAT operates three facilities in Maryland comprising 176,612 square feet in 1,658 units.

The seller was represented in the transaction by Ryan Clark, director of investment sales at SkyView, a boutique firm specializing in self-storage acquisition, development, facility expansion and renovation, refinancing, and sales. Based in Tampa, Fla., the firm also has offices in Cleveland and Milwaukee.

Headquartered in Greenwood, Colo., NSAT is a self-administered and -managed REIT focused on the acquisition, operation and ownership of self-storage properties within the top 100 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas throughout the United States. The company has ownership interest in 533 storage facilities in 29 states. Its portfolio comprises approximately 33 million net rentable square feet.

Hurricane Harvey affected 13 million people last summer in Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. Some 6.3 million people were evacuated in Florida before Hurricane Irma hit landfall. And more than 213,000 acres and 5,700 structures were destroyed by California’s wave of wildfires in December. These are just a fraction of the scary statistics emerging from last year’s natural disasters in the United States. Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms and wildfires took the lives of nearly 400 people. Many have come with a price tag of $1 billion or more, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

U.S. citizens weren’t the only victims. An earthquake in Mexico City killed more than 200 people; a mudslide in Mocoa, Colombia, took the lives of at least 300 citizens and injured 200 more; and 41 million people were affected by severe flooding in South Asia. By all accounts, it was one of the deadliest and costliest years for natural disasters in modern history.

The self-storage industry took its share of hits, with operators closing facilities in the wake of catastrophes and sustaining property damage in the aftermath. While it’s too soon to predict how they’ll be affected financially and operationally in the long wrong, the industry as a whole has learned several valuable lessons.

Casualties and Cleanup

At the time of this writing in late December, fire crews were still battling a blaze in Southern California that had already consumed 272,000 acres. It was just one of multiple fires that burned across the state last year, making 2017 one of the most destructive wildfire seasons on record. In October, the “wine country” wildfires in Northern California threatened several self-storage properties, including three managed by StoragePRO Inc. in Santa Rosa.

“Sunday evening, we went to sleep knowing about pending ‘Diablo’ winds and awoke to hurricane-force winds in the middle of the night. By 5 a.m., the news hit the airwaves of the path of destruction,” says Steve Mirabito, president of StoragePRO, which oversees more than 70 storage properties throughout the West.

The fire had crossed U.S. Route 101 and was headed directly toward a trio of storage properties in proximity: Public Storage, Security Public Storage and StoragePRO. “By 5:15 a.m. I had incorrectly concluded we were doomed and anticipated full and total destruction. The property is over 30 years, with wood-frame construction,” Mirabito says.

Fortunately, the StoragePRO and Public Storage sites were left unscathed. “The fire burned up to and stopped on our property line,” Mirabito says. However, several nearby structures, including the Security Public Storage facility just down the street, suffered extensive damage. “It appeared flames and heat caused contents inside the storage units or possible combustible on storage containers to ignite and be the source of ignition,” Mirabito says.

Several Public Storage facilities in Houston weren’t as lucky when Hurricane Harvey blew into Texas last summer. The real estate investment trust (REIT) was forced to temporarily close 116 locations during the onslaught. Although the majority were open within a few weeks of the storm, seven sites were severely impacted, which the REIT plans to raze and rebuild. Public Storage also closed 125 properties in Florida for a short time after Hurricane Irma. It expects to incur $10 million in capital expenditures to complete the repairs.

REITs CubeSmart, Extra Space Storage Inc. and Life Storage Inc. also closed sites before and after Harvey and Irma. “This year’s hurricanes impacted about 145 Life Storage locations in some manner. Even in areas not ultimately impacted, all stores undertook precautionary measures,” says Darren Laratonda, vice president of store operations for Life Storage. “We were fortunate only seven of our stores suffered significant damage, primarily due to related flooding.”

Extra Space temporarily closed 30 stores in Houston and 219 in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina during the hurricane season. “Various stores received damage, and some units needed to be taken offline; but we didn’t need to keep any full stores closed for extended periods of time,” says Jeffrey Norman, the REIT’s vice president of investor relations and corporate communications.

Extra Space also dealt with fallout from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, closing eight facilities it manages on the Caribbean island. As of December, seven of the properties were operational using generator power, and one was open for existing customers, but not accepting new tenants.

Cleanup has been especially difficult for storage operators in areas hit by hurricanes and flooding. In addition to unit doors and roofs being torn away, they and their tenants had to deal with the removal of damaged goods. “The garbage disposal was a nightmare as flooded items had to be mucked out and piled up in mountains at curbside,” says Ginny Sutton, executive director of the Texas Self Storage Association (TSSA).

While some Texas facilities along the coast were destroyed, others in Houston were able to recover once the flood waters abated. “The coastal area has been extremely slow to recover, partly because of a lack of labor to rebuild,” Sutton says. Martial law was instituted in some areas and, initially, curfews were enforced in places such as Port Aransas, a city on Mustang Island on the Texas coast, which prolonged the recovery process, Sutton adds.

Communication

In times of crisis, one thing that can act as a balm is information. Everyone—from tenants to staff—should be made aware of how a storage business is responding to the crisis. This might include preparing or closing a property, evacuating the area or simply hunkering down until the danger passes.

“We begin preparing for storms as soon as there’s a high probability of impact to any of our markets, typically when a watch is issued,” says Philip Wilfong, regional vice president for Life Storage. “We implement our ‘Severe Weather-Hurricane Preparedness Plan’ in areas where impact is imminent, sometimes several days before any strike.”

Before, during and after an event, communication and teamwork are the fastest ways to get a facility functioning again, says Grace Anderson, director of marketing for Absolute Storage Management, which oversees 88 facilities. This includes conversing across all departments. “Accounting needs to know of any deposit delays, marketing needs to know about website updates to make, and off-site operations can assist with updating customers, vendors and other team members of property status,” Anderson says.

In addition, it’s vital to communicate with tenants about how the property has been affected by the event and when they can access their belongings. Sometimes, however, reaching customers can be problematic following a crisis in which there were evacuations. “The biggest challenge with flooding is notifying tenants, many of whom were displaced because of flooded homes,” Sutton says.

Having multiple communication channels can be beneficial in these situations. This is when technology can be a true asset, as you can notify customers through your website, social media, e-mail and even texts. During the wine-country fires, StoragePRO set up a hotline with a recorded update.

“We also implemented text and e-mail updates to our customers regarding store closures and what we knew about the condition of each property, including several located out of the primary evacuation areas,” Mirabito says. “We had customers calling and crying as they had nothing and were relieved to get a text from StoragePRO reporting no damage to the buildings or their property.”

While it might seem like a good idea to keep bad news under wraps, being open about the situation is a better policy. “Be honest with property staff about expectations, with tenants about damages, access, closings, and anything else that comes up,” Anderson says. “If applicable, be honest with owners about damages and needs. People respond better to hard situations when handled with integrity and honesty.”

When it comes to conversing with tenants—some of whom may have just lost everything—operators also need to be gentle. “Quite frankly, we acted both as a storage counselor and crises counselor allowing some of the customers to express their emotions,” says Mirabito, adding that the wine country fires were a uniquely different situation. “Many of our tenants were victims of fires destroying their homes and were in evacuation mode.”

Risk Management

Following a crisis, many operators are rightly concerned about risk management, including their legal obligations to their tenants. Beyond notifying customers about the situation and providing regular updates, operators should also attempt to mitigate further damage to their property. Of course, if the facility is deemed unsafe, measures should be taken to prevent access.

Once the site is declared accessible, tenants should be permitted, under supervision, to collect their items. “A certain part of the responsibility falls on the tenant to reclaim property as soon as practicable so it can be salvaged, cleaned and repaired, if they choose to do so. But the self-storage operator isn’t responsible for those costs,” says Scott Zucker, a partner in the law firm Weissmann Zucker Euster Morochnik P.C. in Atlanta.

Tenants who either refuse to cooperate or are unable to remove property leave the operator with no choice but to take action. “The operator, eventually, will have the right to remove the property,” Zucker says. “A tenant, even in this situation, can’t choose to do nothing and force a landlord to suffer potential further damages to his property and lose future rental income.”

Storage operators and their tenants need to work together under these stressful circumstances to make the best of a bad situation, Zucker advises. “Sometimes it takes a while to sort things out after a natural disaster. But there’s also a time that action must be taken to avoid further damage. The operator has the right, after notice, to take the steps necessary to save his business,” he adds.

Another critical factor to recovery is working with your insurance company to resolve any claims. The key to a smooth process is to keep your insurance partner informed and document everything. “Operators should complete requested reports and take pictures of the damage that has occurred on the premises,” says Mario J. Macaluso, senior vice president for SBOA Tenant Insurance, which provides a tenant-insurance program created by and for self-storage owners.

In addition, business owners and their customers should consider their insurance needs long before a catastrophe strikes. “Tenants and operators should take an interest in knowing what is covered and not covered on their insurance policies,” Macaluso says. “If it is necessary, they may need to supplement with additional insurance to bridge the gap.”

Crisis Mode

There’s no doubt we’ll continue to grapple with these kinds of events in the years to come as climate change shapes our world. The best course of action when facing a catastrophe is to be prepared. “Have an emergency evacuation plan, have a contingency plan and how you plan to react as some type of an emergency will affect one’s property,” Mirabito says.

All StoragePRO sites have an emergency-evacuation handbook that identifies potential risks, precautions and what do to in the event of an emergency. Each property also has an emergency food bag containing three days of sustenance and survival supplies. “We require earthquake training for all employees each year along with other safety training on a monthly basis,” Mirabito notes.

Operators seeking crisis-response information can find information online from the American Red Cross or National Safety Council. Many state self-storage associations also provide resources. During last year’s hurricanes, the Florida Self Storage Association (FSSA) and the TSSA informed operators about disaster preparation, evacuations and what to do after the storm through their websites and by e-mail.

“We also sent an e-newsletter to our nonmember list with some important Web links and let them know resources were available if they were interested in reaching out to us,” says Courtney Long, membership and meetings manager for the FSSA.

Being prepared before something happens can make a huge difference for staff, the storage property and tenants. “Create policies and procedures beforehand, and practice and think about how you’ll respond to an event before it happens,” Norman says. “In the moment, it’s hard to react smoothly, and make decisions on the spot. With some planning, you can already have processes in place to address such incidents.”

Dick Mann, the owner of Los Altos Batting Range in Albuquerque, N.M., is closing the business after 35 years to convert the complex to self-storage. Mann intends to invest about $300,000 to transform the .75-acre site to a 100-unit storage facility. He plans to use prefabricated metal structures. ABQ Self Storage will feature a resident manager and gated access with keypad entry. The project is expected to be complete by the end of April, according to the source.

Mann believes the property’s proximity to several apartment complexes will help during lease-up. “It’ll be well-lit, with security cameras,” he told the source.

Mann opened the batting range at 9501 Lomas N.E. in 1983, offering batting cages, glove repair and bats for retail purchase. Business has slowed through the years, with many customers opting to visit indoor facilities, he said. Mann owns another outdoor batting-cage in town called Sluggers.

Source:
Albuquerque Journal, Los Altos Batting Range Swings Shut

storEDGE, a provider of software and other technology for the self-storage industry, will launch a cloud-based access-control product this summer that will integrate with the company’s management software and provide users with instant data sync, remote-entry access, real-time monitoring, screen-pop notifications and reporting capabilities. Users will be able to adjust settings, open and close doors and gates, and view access records from anywhere with an Internet connection, according to a press release.

The product will feature a variety of hardware options, including indoor/outdoor keypads, elevator controls, multi-door controllers, and key-fob scanners. Tenant-access histories will be logged automatically in the software, so users can capture access data for use in advanced revenue-management models, the release stated.

“Access control was the last missing piece to our full-integration strategy,” said Adam England, chief technology officer. “Our customers deserve a modern, simple solution to access control, rather than relying on a fragile chain of cables, virus-prone Windows computers, and software programs to open a gate. By swapping all of this out for a cloud controller, we’ve eliminated a major point of failure and provided a more streamlined experience for tenants, managers and owners. Beyond ease-of-use, storEDGE clients will now have access to a huge range of data to make more advanced business decisions related to pricing and occupancy based on their consumers’ behavior.”

The company will demo the product during the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, April 3-6, at the Paris Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas.

storEDGE is a provider of software and other technology for the self-storage industry. Its products include management software, website-creation services, online rental-center tools, business intelligence and other integrated services. In 2016, the company launched a research and development group to advance its technology to include mobile apps, hardware and telephony solutions.

John Fayard Self Storage in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., recently received a “Scenic Corridor Design Excellence Award” from the Scenic Corridor Foundation (SCF), a nonprofit that promotes preservation and enhancement of the U.S. Highway 98 and 331 scenic corridors in Walton County, Fla. Facility owner John Fayard received a plaque on Jan. 24 during a presentation at the storage facility. It was presented by Roger Hall, an SCF board member and president of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast. Additional attendees included Fayard’s staff, members of the Walton County Planning and Development Services Department and other SCF board members, according to the source.

Created in 2017, the award recognizes those who build or renovate projects that exemplify the intent of the Scenic Corridor Guidelines found in the Walton County Land Development Code. “We designed this award for businesses who do a really good job with the Scenic Corridor Guidelines, meaning they adhere to guidelines for architecture, landscaping, signage and other areas,” said Leigh Moore, an SCF board member and former executive director. “The natural environment is so beautiful; we should all make every effort to make the built environment as beautiful as possible as well. Complying with these guidelines is a good thing. We hope that others will see this and want to comply as well.”

The storage facility’s architecture, landscaping and signage were key factors in the SCF’s decision, the source reported. “Our goal is to preserve the South Walton area, making it business friendly and beautiful,” Hall said during the ceremony. “Our area continues to grow, and we just want it to grow the right way. It’s a great day in the community to have another partner like John Fayard.”

Opened in 2017, the storage property at 5029 Highway 98 W. features climate-controlled units, a community room, a retail store that sell moving and packing supplies, and vehicle storage. The site was recently mentioned in an article on self-storage add-on profit centers, published by Inside Self-Storage. Fayard also operates a location in Gulfport, Miss.

SCF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that promotes increased property values, a robust business environment, and safe and beautiful surroundings, the source reported. “It’s a positive thing for our community and a positive thing for tourism,” Moore said. “SCF believes it is all about improving quality of life in the community, improving property values, and making the development more sustainable and in keeping with the character of the community.”

Sources:
The Walton Sun, Storage Company Receives Design Excellence Award
Scenic Corridor Foundation, Facebook