Oswego village trustees have rejected plans to put a self-storage facility near Orchard Road.

At the April 21 Oswego Village Board meeting, village trustees voted against granting a special use permit for a self-storage facility on 7.5 acres at the southwest corner of Lewis Street and Station Drive in the Orchard Way commercial development.

The proposal called for the construction of six storage structures, with the main parking lot located along the east end of the site.

Self-storage facilities require a special use permit in the village’s general manufacturing and regional business districts.

Trustees thought the site was not suited for a self-storage facility and urged petitioner Phil McAlister to find another location.

Oswego planning and zoning commissioners had voted 6-2 to recommend approval of a special use permit. In voting against the proposal, village trustees sided with village staff.

“It is staff’s opinion that the proposed use does not meet the intent of the Orchard Way commercial development or other retail corridors within the village,” Oswego Development Services Director Rod Zenner said in a memo to the Village Board.

“Typical uses in the center are intended to generate customers with relatively high vehicle traffic counts that will serve to bring additional customers to the center for other commercial uses to draw from. These customers often patronize more than one of the uses when they visit a retail center.”

The self-storage facility is being proposed near the Whitetail Golf Dome. Zenner said the latest trend in commercial uses are “experiential retail,” where patrons can go and experience an event or activity.

“Here customers can eat or drink while also experiencing the activity of hitting golf balls,” he said.

In talking to village trustees about his proposal, McAlister said the village has a storage shortage. Based on a supply ratio analysis, he said there is 300,000 square feet of self-storage shortage in the Oswego area.

“It is an important need, especially when you think about some of the different people that are moving into the area,” McAlister said.

In addition, he said the project would generate $80,000 to $90,000 in estimated annual property tax revenue.

“And it’s not going to bring a single new student,” he said.

“I have a problem with the location,” village trustee Rachelle Koenig said. “It also sets a precedent. If we start approving things to fill space, we could then set a precedent for other boards to start approving things to fill space.”

Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman also did not think it was the right location for a self-storage facility.

“I think this is a prime location right on Orchard,” he said. “And we know that Orchard is a fast-growing corridor.”