EASTHAM — The zoning board of appeals has decided that no more storage units will be coming to North Eastham. At its April 2 meeting, the board unanimously voted to deny Barbara Niggel’s special permit application to construct five storage buildings at 4703 Route 6, the site of Willy’s Gym and four existing storage buildings, all of which Niggel owns.

Niggel, represented by attorney Ben Zehnder, and her companies, Goeroe’s Goldens and Stow Away, initially proposed constructing six storage buildings on the site of the outdoor tennis courts on the Willy’s property. But the final proposal presented on April 2 had only five.

Along with an updated site plan, landscaping plan, and other documents, Zehnder also presented a market feasibility study that indicated there was an unmet need for storage in a five-mile radius of the site. The study was conducted by Self Storage 101, a consulting company.

The document compared the proposed operation to the nearby storage facility called Wellfleet Sun Self Storage but did not include Magnum Moving and Storage in Eastham.

“A broader net needs to be cast for an examination of the market to be valid,” ZBA member Steve Wasby said.

Questions had been raised previously by board members and the public about the need for more storage units in the area, runoff and groundwater protection, and the maintenance and cleanliness of the existing storage buildings.

The ZBA determined that there was not a need for more storage buildings in the area, that the size and scale of the proposed facility (31,000 square feet) and its visual character would be detrimental to the neighborhood, that the existing storage facility is in a state of disrepair and has become a nuisance, and that the application failed to include restrictions on hazardous materials.

“I’m a strong believer in past history as an indicator of future performance,” board member Brian Ridgeway said.

Storage units are not allowed in Eastham’s transitional commercial zoning district, so Niggel needed special permit approval from both the ZBA and planning board. Existing storage units in the area were built before the town restructured its zoning districts and allowable uses.

“In the history of this property, there has never been a report of the release of hazardous materials,” Zehnder said, referring to the groundwater protection issue. “There’s just no evidence that these storage units are a potential harm to groundwater.”

But ZBA chair Ed Schneiderhan said the lack of plans from the applicant to ban storage of hazardous materials in the units posed a risk.

“There’s little ability on the part of the town to ensure that hazardous materials are not being stored in any of the storage units, or, in fact, the existing storage units,” Schneiderhan said.

The zoning board’s decision can be appealed. The application is still scheduled to be heard by the planning board on April 15, according to Town Planner Paul Lagg.

Editor’s note: Because of a reporting error, an earlier version of this article misattributed a statement to ZBA member Steve Wasby; the statement was made by board member Brian Ridgeway.

EASTHAM — At a contentious zoning board of appeals meeting on Feb. 6, several residents spoke out against a proposal by Barbara Niggel and her companies, Goeroe’s Goldens and Stow Away, to construct six new storage units at 4730 State Highway. Focusing on the need for a better management plan for the property, the board decided to continue the hearing to its March 5 meeting.

Niggel is seeking a special permit to add six storage units to the four she already operates at the same site. The permit is required because of the intensified use of the property.

Thursday was second hearing date for this application. A month earlier, the ZBA continued the hearing, asking Niggel and her attorney, Ben Zehnder, to provide a better site management plan and a map clearly indicating the site’s abutters.

The plan they presented last week did not please the board. “This is a grossly inadequate management plan,” ZBA member Steve Wasby told Zehnder. “I think you should be embarrassed by it.”

Meanwhile, public comments and letters suggested that Niggel has not maintained her existing storage units adequately.

Eastham resident Jim Cantor wrote that “the entire property has been neglected for years.” And Steve Magliano, who owns Magnum Moving and Storage in Eastham, said, “I have been all over the place in moving and storage, and I have not seen many more junk, trashy places in my life than here.”

Other comments included a question about the hours of operation of the units and a concern that the new units would cut off access to a popular walking path. Niggel said she would make sure the path was not affected by the construction.

ZBA members briefly discussed whether more storage units were necessary in town. A letter supporting Niggel’s application was submitted by Deb Mangelus, who said she has been a satisfied customer of Stow Away for 12 years. “Given the sometimes nomadic culture of Cape Cod residents I know quite a few people who are in need of storage space,” she wrote.

Zehnder said whether or not more storage units are needed should not be a factor in the ZBA’s decision-making process.

When Dave Hobbs questioned Niggel’s application on the grounds of her past business problems as the owner of Willy’s World Wellness and Conference Center, he was cut off by both Zehnder and ZBA Chair Ed Schneiderhan.

“We have an obligation to look at the application under the law — not innuendo, not comments of strictly prior activity,” Schneiderhan said.

In the end, the ZBA’s decision to continue the hearing focused on the maintenance of the existing storage units. “I would have difficulty in approving these units because I see little evidence of a well-managed existing storage unit facility,” Schneiderhan said.

To meet the board’s requirements, Zehnder must now submit additional materials by Feb. 27.

Specifications on proposed exterior lights, a Google/GIS map with abutting properties identified, revised building elevation plans, example vendor photos of the proposed storage buildings, a sample lease document for rental units, a revised management/operations plan, and documentation of the rental status of the current storage units on the site are among the items the town would like to review, according to town planner Paul Lagg.

The special permit needs approval from both the ZBA and planning board. The planning board is scheduled to hear the application at its next meeting on Feb. 19. Niggel’s application was also continued from that board’s previous meeting.