Advice
Jim is "spot on". I would worry less about my opposition if I knew whom it was. By getting a "coming soon" sign on the property, they may come out of the woodwork. You will know ahead of time who your opposition is likely to be because of the posting radius for zoning required by the City. If there are large homeowners groups within the posting range, that is the place to start. Feel them out by contacting their leaders, and offering to sponsor a wine and cheese or some such meeting. Present your case, and make sure you have photos of cars in the street, RV's in yards, sheds in backyard, anything that will help you to show how self-storage can beautify their community. Simple renderings of an attractive storefront and entrance will help. Just make sure you can deliver what you show them. Don't create a drawing with $750k of gingerbread if you can't deliver it. Also, do not box yourself into an identity crisis. Start with drawings that you can live with also.
Once you have identified and hopefuly mitigated the neighborhood risk, remember that you may get hit from your competitors. I have seen NO neighbors show up at zoning meetings and many self-storage owners whining about how bad their market is and how another self-storage property will put them out of business. NONE can back up their claims, and when was the last time a City said "too many hamburgers in town, no new McDonads here?" They WILL and HAVE taken that approach in self-storage with some cities even legislating distance radii for self-storage. Be prepared for the worst, and be ready for the best.
See you at the roundtable,
RK
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