Updated 2026-10-17
More cities are moving self-storage from "allowed by right" to "needs special approval," or pausing new approvals altogether. This page lists the 2026 actions we have confirmed from public records and local reporting, with a link to each source. It is updated weekly.
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| City | Action | Length | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Grove, CA | Citywide moratorium on new personal storage entitlements, 5-0 vote. Projects with valid approvals can continue. | 2 years, can be extended | Aug 2026 (2nd reading notice posted Sep 23) | KCRA, CEQAnet notice |
| Fairborn, OH | Resolution 38-26 pauses approvals for self-storage, data centers, gas stations, convenience stores and car washes. | 12 months, up to 6-month extension | Aug 17, 2026 | Fairborn Daily Herald |
| Yonkers, NY | TMP-0816, citywide, unanimous. Exempts projects with ZBA variances or site-plan approval. | 180 days from publication | Sep 15, 2026 | The Yonkers Post |
| Cashmere, WA | Emergency moratorium (Feb), then six-month moratorium in all zones (Apr 27); extension hearing set for Aug 24. | 6 months, extension considered | Feb to Aug 2026 | Inside Self Storage |
| Atlanta, GA | 180-day moratorium (July), replaced by permanent special use permit rules in October (below). | 180 days | Jul 2026 | WSB-TV |
A temporary pause, passed by a city council or county board, on accepting or approving new self-storage applications. It usually lasts 6 to 24 months while the city rewrites its zoning rules. Projects that already have approvals are usually exempt.
The reasons cities give are land use: storage takes up large commercial or industrial sites, creates few jobs, and can weaken shopping corridors. Atlanta's ordinance says this directly, and Elk Grove cited land that could support housing, retail or jobs.
Often only one or two agenda postings. A moratorium can be introduced and adopted within a few weeks, and some (like Cashmere's first one) are adopted as emergency measures.
Check the planning commission and city council agendas each week for the words "storage," "moratorium" and "special use." AgendaScout does this automatically and emails you a digest for the counties and cities you choose.
In the 2026 cases above, no. Elk Grove and Yonkers both exempt projects that already hold approvals. Check the exact ordinance text for your city.
General agenda-monitoring tools cover every topic for every kind of user. AgendaScout covers one industry: it only flags agenda items that affect self-storage, explains in one line why each item matters, and links to the source document. Pricing and coverage: see plans.