Clovis approves self-storage project on vacant Shaw Avenue lot despite protests

Clovis leaders approved a self-storage complex on a vacant Shaw Avenue parcel Tuesday, pushing ahead over protests from neighbors who said the city was abandoning the promises that shaped the corridor for nearly 50 years.

The 2.45-acre lot at 1859 Shaw Avenue, north of Shaw Avenue between Fowler and Laverne avenues, had sat empty for nearly half a century. It was originally set aside for office use in the city’s Shaw Avenue Specific Plan, adopted in 1978, but the city has repeatedly revised that plan over the years as Clovis added more commercial development along the corridor.

The project, filed as General Plan Amendment 2026-002 and Conditional Use Permit 2026-001, cleared the Clovis City Council despite objections from nearby residents who called the decision a “betrayal.” The property is owned by Little Angels Day Care LLC, with Hawkins Companies LLC listed as the applicant and Eric Tange as the representative. Marissa Parker, an associate planner for the city, is the listed contact.

Under the approved plan, the site would become a two-story self-storage facility with 750 to 800 units, including interior-access and drive-up storage spaces with roll-up doors. The facility would operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. City records show the project was filed as exempt from further California Environmental Quality Act review on April 16, 2026, and classified as a Class 32 in-fill project under CEQA Section 15332.

Residents at the meeting argued that the project would add noise, traffic and vibration to an already busy stretch of Shaw Avenue. Karene Debardeleben said the area already handles heavy traffic from the DMV and driving schools, while Melisa Nilmeier said planners failed to account for neighbors’ concerns. Nilmeier also objected to early-morning access and the possibility of noise from gates and vibration.

The applicant argued the storage use would generate 85% less traffic than an office building, a comparison city officials have used to justify the project on a site that has remained undeveloped since the Shaw Avenue plan was written in 1978. The city’s notice says the parcel is adequately served by utilities and public services and that no significant environmental impacts were found.

The vote adds another chapter to Clovis’ long-running effort to balance development along Shaw Avenue with neighborhood expectations. The corridor has already been amended to allow uses that once would have been barred, including a drive-through Walgreens pharmacy, a drive-through car wash and a Human Bean coffee kiosk. For nearby homeowners, the question now is whether the city is still managing growth around the plan they were sold, or rewriting it one approval at a time.