IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers NO MORE ROOM- Fearing a lack of space for job-generating developments, the City Council is proposing to better regulate where self-storage businesses like the one seen above can be built. Fifty-eight acres of vacant Simi Valley land currently zoned for commercial and industrial use may soon be closed off to applicants wanting to build self-storage space if the City Council passes an amendment to the development code proposed Monday.

The amendment, which will go before the council for a final vote Nov. 19, does not prohibit the building of new selfstorage units altogether, but rather restricts their placement to portions of the city zoned "general industrial."

"This ordinance will not affect the existing facilities in that they would still be allowed to expand or remodel on-site," assistant city planner Sean Gibson said. "However, they can't go onto adjacent properties unless they're within that special area."

The City Council passed a moratorium in January temporarily blocking all applications for new self-storage facilities to give city planners the opportunity to research the proliferation of the facilities and their impact on the community. The current moratorium is set to expire on Jan. 6.

Councilmember Glen Becerra on Monday reiterated concerns expressed during meetings earlier in the year that additional self-storage facilities could hinder the city's ability to provide sufficient space for new job-generating businesses.

"The reason we were looking at this is because a lot of potentially productive land for jobs was being taken up by what I think we all consider nonproductive use, which is selfstorage" Becerra said. "My understanding is that, according to guidelines set up by the selfstorage trade association, each community should have a certain amount of square feet per residence, and we are already overbuilt- and have plenty to meet residents' needs, plus some."

The city currently has 11 selfstorage facilities in operation. According to staff findings, there is 6.63 square feet of self-storage space per capita in Simi, while the demand in Ventura County is only 4.38 square feet per capita.

Gibson said there are four zoning districts that would be directly impacted by the amendment. According to staff reports, the districts contain about 58 acres of vacant land currently not committed for development.

On Oct. 3, more than seven months after denying the issuance of a conditional use permit to Fariboz Bardi to construct a selfstorage facility at 525 E. Los Angeles Ave., the planning commission voted 5-0 to recommend that the City Council approve the proposed amendment.