Our marketplace is changing dramatically with new subdivisions being built and more people moving from other parts of the country to our magnificent Northwest.
Storage options to meet consumer needs are changing fast to adapt to a wider variety of storage needs, from short-term transition of household goods from one home to another, to long-term storage for our valuables that don’t fit homes and/or garages, to the newest trend: larger, longer and taller units for our toys. Today, new subdivisions have parking restrictions that don’t allow for RV/boat storage in driveways and streets, so larger storage enclosed units are working to meet that need today.
Securing our valued toys has become more important today as vandals are creating havoc in every neighborhood. In many cases, the toys we own today are sizable investments, so securing them from vandals and weather helps ensure our desired retention of value.
Accessibility is another priority as large vehicles need wider aisles to maneuver for access. This can be problematic for storage facilities as the general storage facility thought is that more units and less driveways creates more revenue. That thought process is not effective in creating easy access to larger units for our toys.
Affordable Self Storage in Otis Orchards at Harvard and Wellesley adapted to those needs several years ago when 109 RV-sized units were added, all of which had 14-foot High Doors and in most cases 12-foot Wide Doors and included metered power and lights in each unit.
In late 2019, Affordable Self Storage on Sullivan, just north of Trent, added 85 new RV-sized units, all of which have 14-foot High Doors and in most units 14-foot wide doors, and all include metered power and lighting.
The Sullivan facility is zoned IMU (Industrial Mixed Use) so there are some businesses that could operate within the facility. This option requires approval to ensure it meets IMU rules and fits the facility standards.
NOTE: A version of this article first appeared in the 2020 Liberty Lake Yearbook.
