Portable Storage Container Rules Set For Urbana Vote

When rules for using portable storage containers come to the Urbana City Council for a final vote next week, they'll be a little more flexible than first proposed.

City officials want to place limits on how big a storage container can be that's left on residential property --- and how long it can stay there. A permit to store the containers in a driveway or yard would be good for 30 days. But Urbana planning manager Robert Myers said they want to allow for situations when more time is needed --- such as during a home construction project.

"Occasionally, construction projects will go on for weeks and even months," Myers said. "So someone may really need to put their personal belongings into storage for a longer period of time, and have a portable storage container in their driveway for longer than 30 days. So in situations like that, the zoning administrator could determine to allow it longer."

Urbana council members worked out the changes during a committee session Monday night. The limit on keeping the containers in a public right-of-way, such as a street or sidewalk, would still be 72 hours, with no extensions. And the volume of container space would still be limited to 20 feet by eight feet by eight feet --- although multiple containers equaling that amount may be allowed.