Despite a six-month moratorium on issuing building permits for the construction of mini-storage facilities, one Slidell businessman was able to get the Slidell Planning and Zoning Commission last week to award him a conditional use permit to build such a facility on Pontchartrain Drive.

The Slidell City Council agreed to the moratorium in January in an effort to study the effects of mini-storage facilities on the city’s Master Plan, which is being formulated to direct the city’s growth over the next 25 years.

The original ordinance put a six-month moratorium on building permits for mini-storage facilities. However, R. B. Williams, owner of Premiere Auto Sales on Pontchartrain Drive, said he already had plans in place to build what he calls a “high-end storage facility.” He told the council in January that he would lose $30,000 in initial investment if the moratorium were put in place. Planning Director Tim Jackson told the council that Williams had submitted an application for a conditional-use permit, and his department needed more time to go over the application and plans.

The council passed the reworded ordinance to put a six-month moratorium on conditional-use permits and not construction permits.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to award the conditional-use permit to Williams last week.

William Champagne, executive director of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said Williams’ application had been submitted before the council approved the moratorium.

Jackson told the commission he had given Williams a long list of things he had to do to get the conditional-use permit. Jackson said Williams had completed all the big items and had some small requirements left on the list.

“We could have tabled it for a month,” Champagne said. “But since the items were small, we decided to give him the permit.”

“Miracles do happen,” Williams said.

The road to completion is not over for Williams. He still has to get the council to approve of the conditional-use permit, then he has to apply to the Department of Building Safety and Permits for a building permit.

Williams plans to build the storage facility behind the dealership on three acres of empty land that he owns. He said he still needs to submit detailed landscaping plans and other plans on what he wants on the project. He said if he gets the approval of the city, he could start construction in two to three months and could be completed in a year.

The first phase of the project will cost about $1 million, Williams said.

“It’s the best use of the land,” Williams said.

Not only does he want to have storage units that are climate controlled on the property, but he also plans to put in a conference center with meeting rooms, plus start a file storage service for businesses.

“This will really be high-end,” Williams said. “I see it as the Starbucks of storage.”