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Self storage facilities are very important to storage various items in a safe way. There are currently about 30,000 self Storage Palo Alto facilities (SSFs) located throughout the United States. The rapid growth of the industry has resulted in progressive and accelerating change as to the function of such facilities. Self-storage facilities offer the financial leverage, tax ad-vantages, and cash flow characteristics that characterize other commercial real estate properties. The industry began in the 1960s with properties that offered little in the way of location, convenience, and amenities such as air conditioning, heating, and 24-hour secure access. Basically, these were the equivalent of C-type office buildings. Today's self-storage facilities have evolved into centrally located facilities with elaborate amenities, the equivalent of A-type office facilities. In many locations, the demand for facilities of this type appears to be strong and will support a rate structure that makes developing such properties profitable. SSFs are rented for the exclusive purpose of storing personal property in such a manner that the renter has access to, and control of, the property placed in storage. Self storage is, therefore, not warehousing and presumes no possession of customers' goods. The fundamental aspect of self-storage is that it is a "self-service" operation and consumers/tenants retain the "care, custody, and control" of their personal property. The definition of "personal property" is vast, and regulations in this country typically focus on prohibited properties that may be stored as opposed to permitted properties. Prohibited properties typically include hazardous materials, perishable foods, and ammunition. Early and Modern Early self Storage Palo Alto facilities largely consisted of low, flat, one-story buildings typically located in lower-density suburban areas. Such facilities were generally not heated or air conditioned and were of starkly functional design. These units were originally thought of as "mini-warehouses" and often restricted by zoning ordinances to commercial and industrial zones as a result. Modern SSFs are being built as much larger multistoried buildings with heating, air conditioning, and often offering a wide array of complimentary services. These SSFs are often designed to fit into the existing architectural setting. Increasingly, such units are being located in residential areas because they do not generate much traffic, are not noisy, do not create pollution, and place a very light burden on municipal services. These facilities are designed to meet the need for easily accessible, small-scale storage space. A typical SSF covers two to three acres and consists of five to six buildings, each containing approximately 10,000 square feet of storage space. The size of the storage units can range from 25 square feet to 600 square feet. Internal driveways provide access and parking at individual storage units. Author Resource: Jeson Clarke is conveying information about Self Storage Palo Alto
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