Commission approves self-storage facility near airport even as city weighs limits on new facilities

The Palm Springs Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a major development permit for a 92,400 square foot self-storage facility west of the airport at 900 North Farrell Drive. 

For eagle-eyed observers of the planning commission, that might bring up a feeling of déjà vu. Back in 2022, the commission approved a smaller 65,284 square foot storage facility with RV parking spaces for the same site. That project didn’t end up getting built, and the project considered Tuesday was “an entirely new project” from a new applicant, said chair Kathy Weremiuk. 

The project site is a vacant 4.2-acre lot just south of the Palm Springs DMV. The site is bound by three different streets: Farrell Drive, Computer Way, and E. Research Drive. While the original project’s self-storage facilities were spread across four buildings, the new project will be a single two-story building. The facility will also include 52 outdoor RV parking spaces, and it will be open daily from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. 

“While the project as currently proposed differs from the originally approved design, it remains consistent” with the city’s development standards and General Plan, according to the city staff report. 

The commission voted to approve the project with a few conditions, which will be considered at a later date by the Architectural Review Committee. These conditions include directing the Architectural Review Committee to make sure the project includes sufficient tree canopy and screening, and redesign the Farrell side of the project to better represent the architecture of Palm Springs.

The project joins a growing number of self-storage facilities in Palm Springs, mostly located on the other side of the airport along Gene Autry Trail. The city has asked a consulting team to look into potential changes to how self-storage facilities are considered, director of planning Chris Hadwin said Tuesday, including possible location requirements or capping the size of new facilities, among other options. 

---