Smithfield Council Approves Rezoning For Proposed Storage Facility

SMITHFIELD, N.C. — A proposed commercial storage facility along Buffalo Road moved one step closer to reality after the Smithfield Town Council unanimously approved a conditional rezoning request for the 13.88-acre property.

The council voted to rezone the tract at 3063 Buffalo Road from R-20A Residential-Agricultural to B-3 Conditional Highway Entranceway Business, allowing the property to be considered for a phased commercial storage development. The property is located within Smithfield’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and is served by the Selma Fire District.

The application was submitted by David Boon on behalf of the Grace Mills Jackson Family Trust.

Addressing the council, Boon said the location is well suited for the project because it provides convenient access from U.S. 70 while serving the growing residential communities surrounding the corridor.

The conceptual development plan proposes construction in three phases. The first phase would consist of outdoor RV and boat storage. Traditional self-storage buildings would be added during the second phase, followed by a climate-controlled indoor storage facility as the final phase of the project.

The Smithfield Planning Board previously voted 4-1 to recommend approval with one condition requiring the installation of a 6-foot vinyl fence along approximately 190 feet of the property’s eastern boundary to provide a buffer between the commercial development and neighboring residential properties. The Town Council included that condition in its approval.

Councilman Travis Scott made the motion to approve the conditional rezoning, which passed unanimously.

The July 21 vote, however, does not authorize construction of the storage facility.

Instead, it establishes the zoning necessary for the project to move to the next stage of the development process.

Before any construction can begin, the developer must return to the Smithfield Town Council with a detailed site plan for another round of review and approval. At that time, council members will evaluate the proposed layout of the project, including building locations, access points, traffic circulation, parking, landscaping, lighting, stormwater management, grading, utilities and other engineering details, before deciding whether to give the project final approval. No site work or construction may proceed until that approval is granted.