Copperas Cove city council approves zoning amendment restricting storage businesses on parts of Business 190

By LYNETTE SOWELL 

Cove Leader-Press 

There can be no more storage units, RV storage/parking, or trailer storage on certain parts of Business 190 in Copperas Cove. 

On Tuesday evening, the Copperas Cove city council held a public hearing followed by approving an amendment to the city’s zoning code where it these particular facilities within the city’s “PC Overlay District,” which is a portion of the Business 190 corridor. 

The decision was not unanimous, as councilmember Jack Smith wanted to postpone a decision until a meeting in March. His effort to amend the original motion did not pass, and the council approved the zoning ordinance amendment with a 5-1 vote. 

Back in December, the City of Copperas Cove received an application from the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation, requesting that the code be amended. 

“In an effort to ensure the highest and best use of the commercial and industrial zoned land along major transportation corridors in the City of Copperas Cove, the EDC Staff is proposing to amend Chapter 20-Zoning; Article II. - Zoning District and Dimensional Standards, Section 20-2-5- Specific area and overlay districts, for purpose of excluding mini storage facilities, recreational vehicle (RV) storage facilities, trailer storage facilities, wind turbines, and solar farms located in the Primary Corridor Overlay District,” wrote Fred Welch, CCEDC Executive Director, on the application. 

This affects any future expansion of the U-Haul storage facility located at 1091 W. Business 190, and Amy’s Attic Self-Storage, located at 930 W. Business 190.  

Both properties would be considered to be grandfathered and function normally if no changes in the primary use occurred.  

The amendment doesn’t affect Patriot Cache Storage, located at 1310 E. Highway 190, as that lies outside the district. 

However, portions of Cove Terrace Shopping Center, some of which face Business 190, fall inside that “primary corridor” district. The majority of the rear portion of the shopping center, some of which is already made up of storage units, would not be affected. 

City Planner Bobby Lewis noted that the City did receive a written objection to the amendment just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. 

The objection came from Pamela Madere, with the firm of Jackso Walker LLP, representing Public Storage, PS LPT Property Investors, which owns Cove Terrace Shopping Center. 

“The property owner did not receive notice of the City Council hearing that will adversely impact the owner’s property. The property owner objects to the City Council rezoning the property. The property owner objects to the City Council proposed overlay. In addition, we request a postponement of today’s hearing,” Madere wrote. 

Whenever property is rezoned, city ordinance calls for property owners within 200 feet of the proposed rezoning to receive written notice and have the opportunity to respond, supporting or objecting to the proposed rezoning. 

However, although Madere stated Public Storage objected to the “rezoning”, the properties within the PC Overlay District have not been rezoned, nor was that the purpose of Tuesday’s public hearing. 

The amendment does not rezone the property, so the City of Copperas Cove was not required to issue notices to property owners in the PC Overlay District. 

Likewise, the PC Overlay District is not a new designation by the council.

The current PC Overlay District has been in place since the city revamped its citywide zoning ordinances back in 2023.