Langley will get a new five-storey self-storage depot, although Township councillors debated whether it was a good use of scarce industrial land at a council meeting on Monday, March 28.

The property, in the 20500 block of 64th Avenue, is zoned for industrial use, and self-storage is one of the permitted uses.

“I still come back to the question, is five storeys of storage the best use for this land?” said Councillor Kim Richter.

She said it did not fit in for the site.

“It is on an industrial site, and so what I think we need to do is review what’s allowable in our industrial areas,” said Coun. Petrina Arnason.

“We all know there’s a crisis and shortage of industrial land,” Arnason added, saying that was why she could not support it.

The shortage of industrial land has been a topic of debate in the Lower Mainland, especially around the approval of the South Campbell Heights lands on the Langley-Surrey border becoming industrial land. The narrow vote at the Metro Vancouver board approving the land use change was highly controversial.

READ MORE: Metro Vancouver board endorses Surrey’s South Campbell Heights plan

“I think it’s a brilliant use of the land, because the way storage units are traditionally built, they’re all sprawled out with little tiny garages,” said Coun. Bob Long.

He said this one won’t do that because of its height, noting the design includes eight elevators.

“If you can’t do it on industrial land, where would you do it?” he added.

Arnason and Richter voted against the project, but the rest of the council was in favour and it passed.

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