On a split vote, the Plainfield Township Board approved a zoning request Monday to allow the former Kmart property on Plainfield Avenue to be used entirely for a self-storage facility.

Following a recommendation from the Planning Commission, the majority of the board approved shifting from a mix of 70% self-storage and 30% retail after the architect and building owner detailed several months of unsuccessful efforts to attract retail to the facility at 4151 Plainfield Ave. NE. Any future development on out-lots of the property would be for commercial uses, although the parcel does come with restrictions.

During an hour-long discussion, trustees asked numerous questions about zoning, the Township’s master plan and use as they relate to the parcel, which has a long history as a retail location. It was the home of the former Wurzburg Department Store before becoming the North Kent Mall and then Kmart, which closed in 2016.

Most trustees expressed concern over the shift away from retail, with one noting self-storage facilities wouldn’t attract the kind of traffic the Township is looking for. Project managers then detailed a lengthy history of challenges with the property, including a private restrictive agreement passed in the 1960s and amended multiple times since then that allows a neighboring property owner veto power over what the 94,000-square-foot can be used for. Additional issues included the obsolescence of the building, lack of windows, size, parking challenges and the changing nature of retail.

“We should look at this long-term,” said Plainfield Township Supervisor Bob Homan. “Here we have an experienced and aggressive owner who wants essentially to turn a sow’s ear into a silk pursue. The silk purse may not be what we want, but it’s attractive and it’s not vacant. I view this as a productive interim use.”