Yonkers City Council Passes 180-Day Moratorium on New Self-Storage Facilities
The Yonkers City Council has unanimously approved a 180-day moratorium on new self-storage facilities, temporarily halting new approvals as city officials reconsider how valuable commercial land is being used across Yonkers.
At its September 15 stated meeting, the Council voted to approve a general ordinance establishing the temporary citywide moratorium. The measure, listed as TMP-0816 and sponsored by all seven councilmembers, appeared as the third item on the meeting agenda.
The ordinance temporarily prevents the city from granting approvals for new self-storage facilities. Projects that have already obtained a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, received site-plan approval from the Planning Board, or meet certain conditions involving amended site-plan approval are exempt.
The legislation states that the moratorium becomes effective upon publication of the notice required under Section C4-6 of the City Charter and remains in effect for 180 days from that effective date.
City officials argue in the legislation that although self-storage facilities generate property-tax revenue, they generally produce less tax revenue than mixed-use, commercial or residential development and create relatively few jobs after construction. The ordinance also cites potential effects on street activity, walkability, neighborhood character and nearby residential uses.
The six-month pause is intended to give Yonkers time to examine its zoning laws and land-use strategies for self-storage facilities and determine whether they continue to align with the city's economic-development goals and community needs.
Yonkers has been here before
The latest measure follows a similar effort in 2024.
In June 2024, Mayor Mike Spano called for a moratorium on approvals for additional self-storage facilities, saying Yonkers needed time to examine their economic impact and the city's zoning and land-use policies. At the time, the city said more than a dozen self-storage facilities were operating in Yonkers.
The 2024 legislation argued that land occupied by self-storage facilities could potentially be put toward affordable or market-rate housing or businesses that create more jobs and economic activity.
The return of a moratorium two years later raises a question: What, if anything, changed as a result of the city's earlier review, and why does the city believe another temporary pause is necessary now?
The 2026 ordinance itself does not answer that question. Its introducer's memorandum lists no legislative history and says the new moratorium is intended to provide time for the city to complete its examination of zoning laws and land-use strategies related to self-storage.
The September 15 vote came amid a broader slate of land-use and development matters before the Council. That meeting's agenda also included the proposed sale of city-owned property at 566 Saw Mill River Road, changes involving the Hudson Piers waterfront development and proposed zoning changes affecting several areas of the city.
The next City Council stated meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29 at 7 p.m. at Saunders Trades and Technical High School. As of September 21, an agenda for that meeting had not been posted on the city's website.
The Yonkers Post has reached out to the City of Yonkers for confirmation of the publication and effective date of the moratorium, as well as information about what resulted from the city's 2024 review of self-storage facilities.