‘Friendly’ PODS rules sought
By Kevin Kelley
Fairview Park
Published Dec. 6, 2006

Fearing proposed regulation of their leased storage units, local investors of PODS asked City Council members to make sure any ordinance restricting their use is “business-friendly.”

Bernie Stuczynski, Cleveland-Akron territory manager for PODS, said requiring residents to purchase a permit from City Hall to rent a storage unit would be “a curveball” that might turn people away.

“Our service is all about convenience,” Stuczynski told council members during a Nov. 27 committee meeting to discuss council’s plans to regulate the use of the storage units.

Jay Foran, an investor in the local company that rents PODS, told council that adding any complexity to their business model will add costs.

Ward  2 Councilman Bill Minek replied, “Our business is taking care of our constituents.”

A residence in Minek’s ward had a storage unit in its driveway for several months, sparking complaints from neighbors. Since then, council has been investigating legislation which would regulate the use of such storage units.

Foran added that the PODS, which are often used by people who are moving, provide an inexpensive alternative to traditional moving companies.

“It beats having a moving truck on your street blocking multiple driveways,” he said.

In a memo to Clerk of Council Traci Waldron, Scott B. Rhodes, the owner of the Cleveland market for PODS, said the company was “strongly opposed to permits because it places a burden on our already time starved customers.”

He also urged council to move cautiously when regulating a business.

“We face potential lost sales if the regulations are too burdensome,” he wrote. “We are also nervous about the city penalizing all customers for the sins of a few.”

Tony Sinagra, the former mayor of Lakewood, and Tom Jelepis, the former mayor of Bay Village, also attended the meeting on a consultative basis on behalf of the investors in PODS.

Sinagra said the storage unit industry recognizes the need for regulaiton.

“They welcome regulation as long as it’s fair and it’s win - win,” he said. Saying few other cities in Northeast Ohio currently have legislation regulating storage units, Sinagra added it’s important that Fairview Park’s ordinance be well written because it will be a model for nearby cities.

Ward 3 Councilman Fred Gauthier said council had two concerns regarding the storage units. First is where such a unit may be placed. Council wants to make sure the units are placed in driveways and not on lawns, he said. The other concern is the time period a unit remains at a property.

Gauthier said the city needs an ordinance on the books in cases where there are numerous complaints about a storage unit.

Stuczynski said the majority of PODS renters only have the unit in their driveways for a week to a week-and-a-half.

Ward 5 Councilwoman Julie Thomas said residents should have to obtain a permit if the storage unit will remain on the property for more than a week. When Stuczynski promised PODS would be pro-active in avoiding lengthy rentals, Thomas said the legislation had to be written for other storage rental companies besides PODS.

Council members discussed incorporating the PODS permit as part of the city’s existing building and remodeling permits.

Minek told West Life Monday he believes the city should require a permit regardless of how long a resident has a storage unit on one’s property.

The current draft legislation council is considering would require residents to pay $10 for a permit which would allow a storage unit to be on the property for 30 days. The permit could be renewed for another 30 for just cause, up to a maximum of 120 annually.

The storage units rented by PODS come in two sizes — 8 x 8 x 12 feet and 8 x 8 x16 feet. After the unit is filled, the company trucks it away, either to a storage facility or to another location.

Council voted to keep the draft legislation in committee for further discussion.