Council Considers Allowing PODS

The Town Council is considering a new law to allow PODS, the popular portable storage units, in front of residential homes in Westfield.

Councilman Jim Foerst, chairman of the Council's code review committee, announced during Tuesday evening's meeting that his committee has taken up consideration of an ordinance to allow PODS in the town. The current law does not allow the storage units and the committee is looking to change the law because of the growing popularity of PODS. PODS is an acronym for Portable On Demand Storage.

The current draft legislation before Foerst's committee would require a permit to be issued for a portable storage unit with the fee based on the length of time the resident seeks to keep the unit on the lawn. There would be a 30-day maximum for the unit, unless a natural disaster, fire or other circumstances require an extension from the town.

"We felt the need to fill in the hole (in the existing law) and permit them in limited circumstances," Foerst said.

Council members seemed receptive to the proposed ordinance, which is still pending before the code review committee. Councilwoman Joann Neylan was the most vocal with concerns about the proposal, saying she believed the time limit should be reduced to three weeks.

"I think 30 days is excessive," she said. "I see the use of the POD as an expedient thing or if you need time to have the space in your house."

Neylan explained she is worried that a resident with a long construction job could seek to use a portable storage unit for several months, bothering neighbors with the unit's presence in front of a home. Foerst said the committee has considered an exception to allow for a construction permit to include a long-term POD placement, with potential for a recommendation of an off-site storage facility in the event of a longer-term project. Foerst said his committee plans to debate the specifics of major home improvement POD placements.

Foerst said the code review committee has been studying laws in other communities regarding PODS and has found different time lengths. The Camden County community of Merchantville allows them for up to three weeks, the time frame proposed by Neylan.

Under the draft legislation before the code review committee, the storage units can be allowed in driveways, on front yards or in back yards. Foerst said the reasoning is that some homes do not have driveways or large enough driveways and in some cases, the POD transport machine cannot place a unit behind a house. Neylan expressed disagreement with some of the locations.

"I think the front lawn is horrible," she said, noting she is concerned about the aesthetic apperance of the unit on a front lawn.

Foerst said the proposed law will have residents receive a violation if a POD is kept in front of a home for longer than a permit. The resident would then have 10 days to appeal the violation to the town's property maintenance enforcement committee for a quick hearing. The property committee would have the power to extend the POD permit.

Other Council members showed support for the draft legislation, with Councilman Mark Ciarrocca saying he would like the committee to explore a possible longer length of time for the storage units. Mayor Andy Skibitsky asked the committee to specifically review the construction use portion of the ordinance.

Supporters of the proposal cited the convenience of using PODS, which provide secure temporary at-home storage. "The advantage of the POD is that you can bring things into it yourself," Councilwoman Vicki Kimmins said. "You can bring in your dining room table and your crystal."