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Norterra Residents Oppose Proposed Self-storage Facility

Karen Goveia
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A proposal to build a self-storage facility on North Valley Parkway near CVS Pharmacy met with opposition from Norterra-area neighbors who hoped for a restaurant or a grocer like Sprouts or Trader Joe’s in the 6.5-acre commercial plaza bordering Fireside Norterra.

More than 50 neighbors attended an Aug. 21 community meeting, hosted by the developer, at Norterra Canyon School to view proposed plans for a 102,000-square-foot climate-controlled facility.

“We kept thinking it was going to be something great,” said Fireside resident Gina Cox, adding that given the level of residential growth in the area, she doesn’t think self storage is the right solution for the community. “It’s disappointing,” Cox said. “The wait times at the restaurants in Happy Valley are ridiculous. I can’t believe a restaurant isn’t jumping at coming to a secondary location.”

Developer Martin De Rito of De Rito Partners, Inc. has owned the property for three years and said he had initially envisioned the project as a strip center with a mix of neighborhood convenience shops and a sports grill. He said competition from nearby developments―namely Canyon Crossroads anchored by Fry’s Marketplace on Dove Valley Road―have made it difficult to attract businesses, without an anchor tenant.

“I have tried for retail but unfortunately there’s now enormous supply [of high-profile space] with the new grocery centers being built in the area,” De Rito said. “All the studies we’ve done have said self storage would be successful [for this location].”

A petition circulated by Norterra neighbors to attempt to stop the project has more than 1,000 signatures. The petition cites several concerns, including size, increase in traffic and impact to the residents.

In order to move forward, a special zoning permit from the City of Phoenix is required. According to City of Phoenix planner Joshua Bednarek, the application is under staff review and slated to be reviewed by a city committee in October. Discuss This Article on Facebook >>>

Karen Goveia
NoPho resident Karen Goveia joined In&Out Publications in 2009 and is managing editor. Goveia is a Chicagoland native with two decades of experience in the news industry, starting as a reporter for a chain of weekly papers serving Chicago’s suburbs and later serving as managing editor within the chain.

Karen Goveia

NoPho resident Karen Goveia joined In&Out Publications in 2009 and is managing editor. Goveia is a Chicagoland native with two decades of experience in the news industry, starting as a reporter for a chain of weekly papers serving Chicago’s suburbs and later serving as managing editor within the chain.

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