The Prescott Plan Commission gave its preliminary OK to a plan for storage buildings at Hwy. 35 and Dexter Street, across the street from Johnson Construction.

Developer James French told the planners Monday night that he’d like to build four-five buildings at the site.

“These would be built in phases, one or two buildings at a time,” he said. “The intention would be roughly 50 units.”

The storage units would be 1,200-1,250 square feet each and would have bathrooms for hobbyists. French said that businesses could keep equipment there.

Mayor David Hovel cautioned that businesses, however, could not operate out of the units.

“It’s a private unit where you can have your hobby. You can’t have your customers there. It’s not something you can run a business out of,” said Hovel.

French said the units would be sold or rented out if individual units don’t sell.

He was asked to make the buildings look nicer than standard storage buildings, as they would be “the first thing you see when you come into Prescott,” said one plan commission member.

“That is the intention, for sure,” said French. “The face of the buildings on Dexter and on 35 would have stone a couple feet up. We do intend to add some dormers, some other features so it’s a little less than a long tube of grace doors.”

Final plans for the project will need to come back to the plan commission and get full city council approval.