370 Self-Storage Units For Drauden Road Proposed Again: What Will City Of Joliet Do This Time?

JOLIET, IL — It's been more than four years since Joliet Patch first broke the news, revealing how a developer wanted to build nearly 400 self-storage units near the new Lenny's Gas N Wash at the corner of Drauden Road and Theodore Street. Homeowners from the area united and fiercely opposed the development and the Joliet City Council rejected the storage units in 2021.

But some developers are stubborn and won't go away. Next week, the city of Joliet's zoning board will review another proposal, this one proposing to construct 370 self-storage units near the Lenny's gas station on Drauden Road, even though the City Council previously rejected the proposal.

"This proposal includes a one-story, 10,950 square foot climate controlled indoor facility as well as six outside-access one-story buildings with mini-storage units," Joliet's zoning board documents for the Nov. 20 meeting show. "The building facades that face the perimeter will be brick-faced with light and dark brick. The buildings that are located within the proposed complex would be sided with fiber cement board. In total, there would be approximately 370 storage units of varying sizes."

According to next Thursday's agenda, Joliet's zoning board will meet at 2 p.m. on Nov. 20 to review a special use permit for a self-storage facility at 1701 Drauden Road. The applicant for the self-storage development is listed as Ronald Schelling of Timpanogas, LLC.

According to the brand-new documents posted on Joliet's website:

The self-storage facility proposal was brought before the Zoning Board of Appeals in 2021 and in 2023. In 2021, the Zoning Board of Appeals recommended approval, but the petitions were not approved by the City Council. In 2023, the motion to approve the petitions failed by a vote of 3-4. The petitions were subsequently withdrawn prior to City Council consideration.

Primary concerns from neighborhood residents in opposition to the petition in 2023 included concerns over squatters living in the facility and increased traffic and noise in the area.

Now, as 2025 draws to a close, "the petitioner proposes to build an indoor, climate-controlled storage facility with accessory outdoor mini-storage units on Lot 2 of the Gas and Wash Theodore and Drauden Subdivision .... The petitioner feels that the subject property cannot accommodate a traditional neighborhood commercial use, and that the proposed self-storage facility use provides a service to residents not readily available nearby."

According to the city of Joliet's planning staff, "The Zoning Ordinance requires at least one year to elapse before a petition can be reintroduced through the Zoning Board of Appeals / City Council process. Since over 2.5 years have passed from the City Council’s April 2023 vote, the petitioner desires that that Zoning Board of Appeals and City Council review the proposal again."