Coastal Mini Storage is offering free storage to victims of the April 16 storms in North and South Carolina. The self-storage company will also provide a free moving truck for new customers. The offer is good for the months of April and May.

The storm swept through the southeastern United States carrying tornadoes, hail and strong winds. Homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods were devastated, leaving many homeless and others without power. At least 21 people were killed.

Coastal Mini Storage is a full-service self-storage facility with nine locations throughout southeastern North and South Carolina.

Last Wednesday Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law Senate Bill 11-039, which includes improvements to the states lien law for self-storage operators. Introduced to the Colorado legislature in January, the bill was championed by the national Self Storage Association, the Colorado Self Storage Association, and lobbyist firm Colorado Communiqué Inc., which was hired by the CoSSA.

SB 11-039, A Bill for an Act Concerning the Consequences of Default in Payments Due for Storage of Personal Property in a Self-Storage Facility, includes several modernizations:

• It eliminates the Certified Mail requirement for lien-sale notifications, allowing such notices to be sent via e-mail or, in the absence of an e-mail address or response, any form of verified First Class mail.
• It eliminates the newspaper-publishing requirement for lien sales, instead allowing any commercially reasonable form of advertising. (Three or more independent bidders must be present at the auction for it to be deemed commercially reasonable.)
• It provides a simpler lien process for self-storage spaces containing vehicles, allowing the facility operator to tow the vehicle if rent goes unpaid for 60 days or more.

According to the SSA, the savings to Colorado self-storage operators as a result of the new law will be between $1.3 and $2 million.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Lois Tochtrop and House Representative Tom Massey. The first Senate hearing for the bill took place at the end of January. Mike Humphrey and Hank Saipe of the CoSSA testified in favor of the measure as well as Tim Dietz, senior vice president of the SSA.

The complete text of the bill can be viewed at http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2011a/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/DFF83AAA14048A698725780100602BD5?open&file=039_enr.pdf.

Strategic Storage Trust Inc., a publicly registered non-traded real estate investment trust specializing in self-storage, recently acquired two properties in the San Francisco Bay Area, amounting to approximately 1,350 units, for $14.1 million. The new sites will be rebranded as SmartStop Self Storage locations.

"This acquisition represents our emerging growth in Northern California," said H. Michael Schwartz, Strategic Storage Trust's chairman and CEO. "We continue to target the San Francisco Bay Area due to its geographic diversification, strong economic market and a forecast of population expansion."

The first property is located at a main residential intersection at 3480 Tennessee St. in the suburb of East Vallejo. The property contains approximately 75,000 rentable square feet with 860 units on roughly 4 acres of land. Built in 2001, the facility consists of seven single-story buildings with ground-level and drive-up access.

The second property is located at 222 San Pedro Ave. in Morgan Hill and contains 61,000 rentable square feet with 490 units on approximately 3 acres. Morgan Hill is in Santa Clara County, part of Silicon Valley, with easy access to U.S. Route 101 as well as Monterey Road, a major thoroughfare. Built in 1997, the facility consists of three single-story buildings with ground-level and drive-up access.

Aaron Swerdlin, senior managing director of mortgage banker Holliday, Fenoglio, Fowler L.P., represented the sellers in the transaction.

Since the launch of Strategic Storage Trust in 2008, the company's portfolio of wholly-owned properties has expanded to include 61 properties in 16 U.S. states and Canada. The companys sponsor is Strategic Capital Holdings LLC, which manages a growing portfolio of more than 7 million square feet of commercial properties, including 5.5 million square feet of self-storage, with a combined market value of more than $756 million.

Most self-storage managers will say their second most dreaded phone call is to a delinquent tenant to collect late rent. Their least favorite? The police.

Although the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that crime in the United States has been slowly decelerating since the 1970s, self-storage operators know theirs is not a theft-free future. However, technology innovators are constantly devising new answers to ongoing problems.

Joe Dahlquist, product manager for Chamberlain Access Control, says self-storage operators often fall into one of three categories when selecting security technology: those with modern, newly built operations that demand the latest and greatest; those with middle-of-the-road facilities, who are budget-conscious and looking for reasonable solutions; and those with smaller facilities, who are looking for simple, basic equipment. Where they fall on that spectrum, as well as their size and location, determines what they buy, so trends vary.

Randy Johnston, national self-storage specialist for DoorKing Inc., says the current top priority for operators is cutting costs. Reliability and return on investment are key, especially now. When 2,500 to 2,600 facilities were being built each year, it wasnt as important, he shares, alluding to the domestic slowdown in self-storage development. Now suppliers must provide technology thats not only effective but efficient and beneficial to the bottom line.

John Fogg, general manager for Sentinel Systems Corp., has observed many facilities are bundling their access control, alarms and cameras into one security budget. He says as a general rule, a comprehensive security investment costs $100 to $250 per door, $1 to $3 per square foot, or 2 percent to 6 percent of the overall cost of building a facility.

So, what works to keep out thieves, desperate tenants and undesirables? Locks and gates keep honest people honest, Johnston says. Anyone wanting to break into a facility badly enough will find a way to do it, but good security measures can do much to eliminate crimes of opportunity and scare off a vast majority of would-be criminals. In no particular order, Johnston lists gates, keypads, alarms, locks, cameras and tracking systems as the pillars of today and tomorrows security products.

Access Gates

The day has come when even the most rural of facilities has at least considered installing an access gate. Dahlquist notes sliding gates outnumber swing gates 10 to one, with vertical-lift gates composing only a small percentage because of their high cost.

One of the most common gate-security issues is tailgating, where an unauthorized vehicle follows another into the drive-up area before the gate closes. To prevent this, Dahlquist proposes three options:

• Anti-passback technology on gate keypads. This keeps one tenant with an access code from sharing that code with the driver immediately behind him. Anti-passback requires a certain amount of time to elapse before a single code can open the gate again.
• Quick open and close times on gates.  Similarly, an accelerated close time at first, but a sudden slowdown as the gate gets close to latching.
• Overlock systems tied to the gate-entry code.  Tenants or visitors cannot tailgate into the facility but must enter the code at the gate to disengage the overlock and open the desired unit door.

In addition, Fogg suggests requiring drivers to enter the appropriate code upon exit as well as entry. Even a driver who successfully tailgated into the facility would be forced to tailgate out, which is likely to thwart a drive-up thief. If the tailgater somehow acquires a valid exit code, the gate could be set up to honor only codes that have been entered twice (entry and exit) in a certain time span.

Johnston says gates of the future will be more compliant with UL 325, an industry-standard safety regulation that dictates how gates must function. He also envisions gates with embedded computers that sync with interior and exterior lighting, creating a unique lit path to each tenants unit when the gate is accessed.

Locks, Alarms and Keypads

Imagine a facility with no traditional lock and key locks where everything is fully automated. If it seems far fetched, it may not be much longer. Automatic doorsor facilities where each unit has a keypad instead of a traditional lockwill mimic the progression already happening with climate control, Johnston says. Many facilities will build or convert part of their facilities to this type of door, while the rest of the facility will have traditional locks. Cost, he says, is the greatest barrier now, but as time passes, equipment costs will decline.

Overlocking is already becoming more technologically advanced. Dahlquist describes an system where a wireless device mounts to outside of the door, adjacent to the hasp, allowing for simple, non-intrusive installation. If a tenant is late beyond a certain grace period, software synced with the device sends a wireless signal to disable the hasp automatically until payment is received.

Aside from convenience, this provides an ostensible theft deterrent. Thieves or dishonest and late-paying tenants will see the overlock device on each unit. It can discourage break-ins, as well as encourage on-time payments.

However, David Essman, vice president of marketing for Sentinel Systems, is a bit skeptical of the cost-effectiveness and practicality of automatic doors and unit-overlocking systems. Theres no doubt a mechanism behind the door may wear out sooner or later, costing you money in repairs and trip charges. Lastly, would any problems arise if your power goes out? Such a system can make overlocking a delinquent tenant easier and more automated, but does it justify the costs? That is a question for the property owner.

Fogg champions individual door alarms as the most effective and important component in thwarting theft. As soon as a potential burglar opens the door to a unit, an alarm sounds, he explains. This demands a response to the situation. Certainly cameras have a use for securing areas of the property, but they do not let the manager know when an attempted burglary is taking place.

Surveillance Cameras

Though quite a few security experts share Foggs view on cameras, they are still a necessary component of an overall security strategy. Earlier in the decade, 360-degree and dome cameras were all the rage. Now, theyre fairly commonplace. Whats on the frontier for cameras in the next five to 10 years?

I see a trend toward motion video, Johnston says. Motion-activated video works when a camera is triggered by a motion censor to capture a 10-second (or other short-term) video clip of the area where motion was detected. An off-site monitoring center then determines the threat level and notifies appropriate facility personnel if necessary. This type of monitoring can reduce the endless streams of videos managers might have to pour through to view footage of a potential problem.

Nowadays, everyone wants a wireless camera, Johnston says. The problem with wireless cameras, according to Dahlquist, is the balance hasnt been struck yet between cost and quality. Ten years in the future, Dahlquist says wireless cameras will be everywhere. In the meantime, some operators are heading to their local big-box retailer and paying as little as $300 and installing the cameras themselves, rather than forking over $1,000 or more for a quality system and installation by an industry professional.

RFID Tracking

The same tracking technology that allows travelers to scan onto a subway platform without a ticket or farmers to monitor their livestock is making its way to self-storage. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is in its infancy in the industry. Many operators were introduced to it this past March at the Inside Self-Storage World Expo in Las Vegas.

Its not hard to see how RFID could change the way facilities handle security. It works like this: A device called a reader (think in terms of a wireless router) receives signals from other devices somewhere within its range if any of those devices move at all. The reader then can communicate via the Internet through e-mail, text message or other electronic communication to let a manager, owner or tenant know something has been moved. Someone will be notified of the movement 30 to 60 seconds after it happens.

Katie Pavlasek, business development manager for PureRFid, says there are several different products self-storage operators might find useful. One is a motion-alert device, which resembles a key fob and can be attached to any item, such as boxes or furniture, inside a unit or even to bigger, mobile items such as facility golf-carts and rental trucks, as well as tenants stored boats, RVs and other vehicles. Whenever these items move without be disarmed first, the system engages and notifies a designated person with a text message.

If the security benefit werent enough, Pavlasek sees a revenue-generating potential. Once operators  purchase these devices, they can rent them to tenants as a add-on security product and allow the tenants to be contacted via text messaging when items are moved without being disarmed.

Weve gotten so much feedback from people that this technology is what they need, Pavlasek shares, adding that her company is still seeking  its first batch of self-storage operator-customers, though a facility in North Carolina is currently testing its products. Because almost everyone these days has a cell phone and sends text messages, especially the younger generation, we think its a good way [for operators] to market security.

Cutting-edge technophiles and slow-adopting luddites will agree on one thing, though: Security is something tenants wont compromise on. If they dont think their items will be safe, theyll store somewhere else. It may not make sense to put a bank vault-esque system in a self-storage facility, but some kind of modern, ostensible securityto go with statistics that back up a low-theft historycan go a long way in getting tenants to commit, keeping insurance premiums low, and keeping calls to the police to a minimum.

Big Key Self Storage in Miami is partnering with Florida E-Waste Recycling and Cell Phone for Soldiers to become a one-stop drop-off for all e-waste and old cell phones. The items can be dropped off at the facilitys office during office hours.

Americans will replace an estimated 130 million cell phones this year, with the majority of phones either discarded or stuffed in a drawer, said Mike Newman, vice president of ReCellular. Most people dont realize that the small sacrifice of donating their unwanted phones can have a tremendous benefit for a worthy cause like Cell Phones for Soldiers.

Big Key Self Storage invites community members to help make this world a bit greener. The self-storage company is accepting all e-waste including computers, cameras, cassette payers, CD and DVD players, pagers, fax machines, radios, VCRs, typewriters and other items. TVs will not be accepted.

The facility will also accept cell phones. Cell Phones for Soldiers turns old cell phones into prepaid calling cards for U.S. troops stationed overseas. The phones are sent to ReCellular, which pays Cell Phones for Soldiers for each donated phone.  

While many self-storage facilities across the country can accommodate the storage of RVs and boats, there are few that offer an actual real estate investment opportunity. Enter the self-storage condominium, which allows a customer to buy a specific unit at a facility, pay a fee similar to that of a homeowners association, and sell the unit at any time.

Self-storage condos remain a niche market, but awareness of and attraction to the product is growing. The market that had begun to flourish in 2005 hit a wall when the economy soured. Construction stopped and potential condo buyers could no longer find financing. But interest is still there, says Ted Deits, developer and owner of Eucalyptus at Beaumont in California. His facility opened in March 2009 after three years of development. It has 108 condo units with resort-inspired amenities, including a 2,700-square-foot clubhouse, individual door alarms and 24-hour access.

Inside Self-Storage recently spoke with Deits about the advantages of boat/RV-storage condos, how the industry was affected by the recession, and whats in store for the future.

Why makes a self-storage condo a good investment for a customer?

Its fueled by three things: amenities, security and financial benefits. In most casts, rental facilities offer few amenities the serious RVer is seeking, such as wash areas and dump stations, and have limited access hours. Typically, they are built with an eye toward return on investment (ROI), but ROI can be skewed in the wrong direction when the owner starts adding amenities.

While cost is everything when building and running a rental storage facility, a storage-condo developer can front load his project with all the amenities required. The cost for these amenities is paid by each condo owner, bundled into the purchase price, and the continued operational cost for these amenities is minimal.

One unseen benefit of condominium storage is the community aspect. Condo owners are not transient. Theyre on site several days a week, tinkering, talking and generally just hanging out. The result of this familiarity with the project is these owners know each other, resulting in a new unforeseen security benefitneighbors.

There may be financial benefits as well. Depending on where a tenant lives and the cost of available storage, it could actually be cheaper to buy a condo than to rent. In our area of Southern California, enclosed storage averages about 60 cents per square foot. Using 650 square feet as an average, the rental cost per month is about $390. You can purchase the same size unit with a monthly cost of about $300 per month, including $35 per month association dues. If a condo owner holds the unit for five years, and it appreciates 2 percent per year, the monthly cost is actually about $202 per month.

Naturally, when paying $390 per month for a rental with no chance for any ROI, the actual cost benefits lean toward condo storage. Having said that, real estate is a long-term play. Those that only need storage for a year or two would probably be better off renting. There is a place for both revenue models.

What are the land and market requirements to develop self-storage condos?

There are three types of locations to consider: a neighborhood location, an on the way location, and a destination site. Neighborhood locations are the most ideal, as those who own RVs, cars and boats like to tinker. However, land costs often prohibit this type of storage.

On-the-way locations are facilities found on the way to a popular destination. These sell really well when potential buyers consider that driving the first 30 miles by car is less expensive than driving the RV. Since they own their unit, many simply store clothes in the RV, the refrigerator is running and ready, and the batteries are all charged up.

Depending on the surrounding demographics the destination itself, a destination site works really well. A good example is the Colorado River area, used primarily by commuters from Southern California who make the four- to six-hour drive several times a month from spring to fall. Why drag a boat all that distance when it makes perfect sense to leave it at the goal locale?

In terms of land requirements, theres really nothing out of the ordinary for this style of construction. Flat is good, as is rectangular. Industrial zoning is good as it generally allows storage, saving the developer the time required to apply for a conditional-use permit.

Spend time with the city or county planning office and closely examine its developer fees. The difference from city to city can be staggering. In our case, developer fees were more than $450,000. So, while the cost for land is one consideration, the cost of development carries almost as much weight.

Condo-storage facilities are often built like clubhouses where owners meet. What other amenities do owners desire?

Owners want to feel comfortable and secure in their new garage. Clubhouses, while they may seem excessive, serve to round out the complete amenity package. Further, they can help present a comfortable upscale offering, justifying the condo cost. Potential buyers expect quite a bit from a project like this. They want to make certain theyre going to receive good value for their hard-earned dollars.

After a year or so of sales, the one thing thats commonly requested is some sort of valet service. When the owner returns from a trip, he can turn his RV over to someone who will wash it, detail it, empty the holding tanks, and put the RV away, ready for the next trip. This is a really good idea, and were working on a few potential solutions for that issue. Other than that, security is high on the list, with other niceties like dump stations, electrical service, laundry and possibly showers.

One other feature people might like, especially those traveling from afar, is a few outdoor camping spots so they can spend a few days relaxing and provisioning their RV for the trip ahead.

How has the lack of financing affected the development of self-storage condos? 

It stopped everything. Without construction financing and banks being tight-fisted with loans, all condominium construction was halted. It was hard enough to get a construction loan when things were good (2005 to 2007). Now that lenders have much tighter lending and reserve requirements, new construction financing for storage condos simply doesnt exist. The only other resource is private lenders. They do have their place, but the funds are much more expensive.

The financing of individual condominiums for new buyers is also non-existent. No lenders have been willing to lend on such a new concept. After potential buyers jumping through hoops, there have been no lenders willing to take on a project like this. Weve been providing our own financing since June 2010, but 90 percent of our buyers have paid cash for their units. 

Did condo purchases suffer during the recession? Whats the status of the purchasing market now? 

Yes, they did. Our grand opening was in March 2009, when the financing world was circling the drain. We had just come off of $5 per gallon gas, the deepest recession in my lifetime was underway, and the world lenders were failing left and right. Talk about your perfect storm. Yes, it scared away 80 percent of my potential buyers in the following two months. This is a consumer discretionary purchase, like RVs, cars and boats. Everybody and everything stopped and held their breath for what was about to happen.

Fast forward 18 months, and were once again selling garages at a respectable rate. Were averaging about one unit sale per week, and were about 45 percent sold out. During the deepest part of the recession, March 2009 through May 2010, we stopped marketing and sat back and watched what the economy was doing. Fortunately, it does seem were a nation thats recovering. Its not what it was, but it seems consumer confidence is back and people are feeling good enough to invest in some of their own personal pleasures. 

Do you expect condos will continue to grow in popularity?

Without question, yes. Many of the people buying at our project dont even have their RV yet. In fact, we closed one like this recently. The owner wanted to secure storage for his RV now, before he went out and invested in a $200,000 vehicle and was forced to put it out in a field somewhere. I cant tell you how many of our visitors have retirement plans for the next one to three years. They may not be able to buy today, but there certainly will be a bubble of interest in the next two to five years.

Though it is often confused as one, Inside Self-Storage (ISS) is not an industry association. It does, however, provide many of the same resources and benefits. Through its website, publications, expos, training institute, online community and vendor relationships, ISS provides self-storage owners, managers, investors and developers with the resources they need to be successful in the business; and now, ISS is pleased to offer an official membership program, with three tiers of packaged benefits at extraordinary value.

Following are common questions being asked about the new program. To learn more or become a member, visit www.insideselfstorage.com/signup.aspx.  

If ISS is not an association, what is it?

ISS is a dynamic services provider that creates educational resources specifically for the self-storage industry. It is owned and operated by VIRGO, an information-distribution company based in Phoenix. Until now, ISS could engage with its audience on many levels, but it was not possible for its users to officially join ISS. The new ISS Membership Program changes all that.

What do I get if I become an ISS Member?

It depends on the package you choose. Members pick the Basic, Manager Plus or Owner Advantage package. Each contains different benefits tailored to the users needs including live and online education, publications, marketing services, human-resources services, insurance resources and discounts, and more. See the detailed package descriptions on the next page.

How is being a member different from subscribing to ISS magazine or attending an ISS Expo?

When you sign up for ISS Membership, you buy into a streamlined, convenient package that provides deep discounts on popular industry products, services and informational resources. Once you register, all of your benefits are clearly listed and explained for you on a personalized account page at InsideSelfStorage.com. From this one Web page, you can directly access each of your benefits and discounts or get detailed instructions on how to activate them.

For example, John Smith signs up for a Manager Plus package. To access his benefits, he visits www.insideselfstorage.com and logs in to his account. From there, he gets a promo code for a $75 discount on the Qualified Storage Manager online-training program; he clicks on a link for free access to the 2011 Legal Learning Webinar Series; he gets instructions for claiming his free creative ad design from Michaels Wilder; and much more. Its that easy.

Are all of the benefits provided by ISS?

No. ISS has teamed up with several vendor partners to provide products and services commonly used by self-storage owners and managers. At this time, the membership program includes a wealth of marketing and staffing products and services provided by Michaels Wilder, mystery-shopping services provided by A Top Shop!, and insurance resources and discounts provided by Universal Insurance Facilities Ltd. More vendor offerings will be added throughout the year.

How much does ISS Membership cost, and how often do I have to renew?

ISS Membership renews annually. The cost is $195 for Basic, $325 for Manager Plus and $495 for Owner Advantage. The value of these packages far exceeds their cost, by hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

Inside Self-Storage Membership Packages

For detailed descriptions of package benefits, visit www.insideselfstorage.com/signup.aspx.

BASIC PACKAGE

Education

• One-year subscription to Inside Self-Storage magazine 
• Annual Inside Self-Storage Factbook  
• $50 discount on the ISS Expo Standard Education Package
• $50 discount on the Qualified Storage Manager online certification program
• Discounts on a selection of online staff-training courses

Human Resources

• Complimentary mystery calls and related reports (two per year)
• Discounts on employee background checks

Insurance

• Self-Storage Insurance Resource Guide
• Free insurance quote

Marketing

• Complimentary ad creative design
• Complimentary analysis of your business marketing plan

MANAGER PLUS PACKAGE

Education

• One-year subscription to Inside Self-Storage magazine 
• Annual Inside Self-Storage Factbook
• $50 discount on the ISS Expo Standard Education Package or Premium Package
• $75 discount on one Qualified Storage Manager online certification program
• Free access to the Legal Learning Webinar Series
• Free access to ISS online special reports
• Discounts on various online staff-training courses 

Human Resources

• Discounts on employee background checks 
• Complimentary mystery calls and shops and related reports (two each per year)
• Discount on behavioral assessments for new hires

Insurance

• Self-Storage Insurance Resource Guide & Supplement
• Free insurance quote
• Discount on PLUSS (Pollution Liability Underwriting for Self Storage)   

Marketing

• Complimentary ad creative design 
• Complimentary analysis of your business marketing plan
• Complimentary development of a multi-product marketing plan 
• Complimentary call tracking on a print or online advertising campaign 
• 10 percent discount on print or e-mail newsletter consultation, development and execution

OWNER ADVANTAGE PACKAGE

Education

• One-year subscription to Inside Self-Storage magazine
• Annual Inside Self-Storage Factbook
• $50 discount on the ISS Expo Standard Education Package or $100 discount on the Premium Package
• $75 discount on the Qualified Storage Manager online certification program for up to 10 students
• Free access to the Legal Learning Webinar Series
• Free access to ISS online special reports
• Free access to the owners webinar series: Self-Storage Business Endurance
• Discounts on online staff-training courses
• Discount on customized staff training

Human Resources

• Discounts on employee background checks
• Complimentary mystery calls and shops
• Discount on behavioral assessments for new hires
• Complimentary review of your HR Web pages
• Discount on an HR audit

Insurance

• Self-Storage Insurance Resource Guide & Supplement
• Free insurance quote
• Discount on PLUSS (Pollution Liability Underwriting for Self Storage)   
• Insurance coverage evaluation for additional discounts and credits

Marketing

• Complimentary ad creative design
• Complimentary analysis of a business marketing plan
• Complimentary development of a multi-product marketing plan
• Complimentary call tracking on a print or online advertising campaign
• 20 percent discount on print or e-mail newsletter consultation, development and execution
• Complimentary Web audit
• Discount on client-engagement surveys

The annual Inside Self-Storage Boat/RV/Mobile Storage supplement edition is now available at InsideSelfStorage.com. It is the first time this publication is being offered in a feature-rich digital issue that provides simple navigation and search capabilities as well as quick access to advertiser info.

ISS Boat/RV/Mobile Storage includes a selection of articles for self-storage operators and investors who currently offer or are interested in offering ancillary services of boat/RV storage or mobile storage. Topics addressed by industry experts include construction and development trends, the state of the storage-condominium market, solar-carport technology and adding portable-storage units to an existing operation. In addition, attorney Scott Zucker addresses the risks of storing high-value, titled property. The issue is available for download by visiting www.insideselfstorage.com/digital-issues/2011/04/iss-boatrvmobile.aspx.

For more than 20 years, ISS has provided informational resources to self-storage owners, managers, developers and investors. Its educational offerings include a monthly magazine, bi-annual tradeshows, an extensive website, an education institute and Self-Storage Talk, the industrys largest online community.

Detectives in Mecklenburg County, N.C., in suburban Charlotte are investigating multiple thefts they believe are connected, one at a self-storage facility and another at a fitness center, both occurring this week.

The break-in at the self-storage facility, which isn't named by the source but is located near the interchange of Interstates 85 and 485, happened at about 4:30 a.m. earlier this week. According to detectives, two men wearing masks and covered from head to toe walked up and cut the lock to the facilitys gate while a third man backed a late-model large sedan into a loading position. Within minutes, they had broken into multiple units. Surveillance video shows them hoisting large flat-screen TVs into their vehicle. The suspects broke into  a total of 74 units by cutting through aluminum doors.

Detective Marty Cuthbertson told the source he thinks the thieves spent at least a couple of hours on the premises. "[They] had free reign to scrounge around and look through the whole complex," he said.        

The break-in at the fitness club, which is 20 miles from the self-storage facility in Steele Creek, occurred several days later, but the club's cameras show the same vehicle and number of suspects. The source did not publish a license plate number or detailed description.