A proposal for a self-storage facility on Etna Road cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night after the Ottawa City Council approved the final plat, moving the project one step closer to construction.

Developer Sean Garrett told commissioners earlier this summer the project could serve as the first step in a larger 28-acre development on the city’s north side.

The approval establishes a 4.77-acre parcel at 550 E. Etna Road in north Ottawa, where Columbus Development Co. intends to build the facility. City staff said the plat meets all zoning and subdivision requirements and was recommended by the plan commission last week.

Garrett said the storage facility is designed to be a quiet, low-impact use for the property.

The plan calls for no outdoor storage, no tall lighting and about 40% of the site to be preserved as green space. Landscaping and design review will also be part of the process to screen the buildings from residents who live nearby.

Future phases could include professional and medical offices, banks and specialty retail. Garrett has worked in Ottawa before and has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, including shopping centers and storage facilities across Illinois.

He mentioned that revenue from the storage facility could help fund an estimated $1.5 million extension of Centennial Drive, which would open up access to the rest of the property, located within a tax increment financing district.

The developer has not yet provided a construction timeline for the project.