When you see the recent upgrades to the Extra Space Storage property at 1256 Washington St in Weymouth, MA, you’d think that it was an easy sell to the city and neighborhood—what with its clean lines, more modern materials, and tidy landscaping. In reality, this self storage expansion project faced significant opposition, including a formal denial from the City of Weymouth itself. Fortunately, Program Manager Danny Morris was able to work with the city to keep the project moving.

“Danny was able to negotiate with the city planning department and the planning commission for a Special Use Permit,” explained Peter McDaniel, Program Manager. “The local residents were also vocal with their concerns about expanding the building and the green doors. The fence screening the green doors, site water conservation in the back of the property, and architectural design were major points of negotiation.”

Through the efforts of McDaniel, Morris, and Design Lead John Bennett, Extra Space Storage was able to gain the confidence of the city and its residents, reaching an agreement that allowed the expansion to continue.

Of course, just when the team thought they’d gotten past all of their development hurdles, there was an issue of customer access. The facility, located at the corner of Washington St and Pleasant St, was to remain open to existing customers throughout construction. But since the property was being expanded on three sides, all customer entrances into the facility were affected.

“It was incredibly difficult to maintain adequate customer access and safety, due to us adding three-level additions to three of the four sides of the building,” said McDaniel. “Operations and store management were a big help and were accommodating the entire time.”

Of all the projects he’s worked on, McDaniel says that this one exemplified the incredible teamwork that Extra Space Storage is known for. Without the help of District Vice President Bob Parisi, District Manager Myles Sigman, the local managers, and the Operations team, McDaniel believes this expansion wouldn’t have been possible.

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