Cashmere delays vote on extending mini-storage moratorium

CASHMERE — A proposed extension of Cashmere’s moratorium on new mini-storage development was set aside April 13 after council members identified errors in the draft ordinance and used the discussion to revisit broader questions about where — and whether — additional storage facilities belong in the city.

The ordinance would have continued a temporary pause on new self-storage construction while the city reviews its zoning and long-term land use priorities. Instead, council voted to table the measure and return with a corrected version.

The delay did little to slow the conversation.

Council member John Perry questioned whether the city should be weighing the number of any one type of business at all.

“Do we concern ourselves with saturation of any businesses in this country?” Perry asked, noting that other sectors could also be considered overrepresented.

Council member Jeff Johnson drew a distinction, arguing that mini-storage presents a different challenge because of how the properties are used.

Johnson said storage units do not contribute the same kind of economic activity as other uses and do little to support the city’s tax base, particularly in areas where public investment has already been made.

“You don’t spend millions of dollars creating sidewalks and streetscape … so you can have rental units,” Johnson said. “That’s a waste of dollars.”

The exchange highlighted a larger question the council is expected to take up during the moratorium period: whether certain types of development should be directed toward specific zones, such as industrial areas, rather than allowed in commercial or mixed-use corridors.

The issue is not entirely theoretical.

At a previous meeting, Cashmere School Board Vice President Nick Wood, a local business owner, told the council he had been considering an expansion of an existing mini-storage operation, though no formal application or permit request has been submitted.

Council members acknowledged that the current moratorium, which remains in place through August, is intended to give the city time to sort through those questions before additional projects move forward.

The ordinance is expected to return with corrected language at a future meeting, along with continued discussion about how mini-storage fits into Cashmere’s long-term plans.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media