FORT COLLINS — The companies behind the Carpet Exchange store in Fort Collins are suing the city and Pittsburgh-based Guardian Self Storage in an effort to stop the company from building a new storage site along South College Avenue.

In a complaint filed Wednesday in Larimer County District Court, Carpet Exchange claims that Fort Collins’ planning and zoning board granted Guardian’s proposal to build a three-story storage building directly south of Carpet Exchange’s building even though the zoning on the parcel prohibits ground-floor storage.

Guardian first submitted plans to build a three-story, 119,300-square-foot storage site at the northeast corner of South College Avenue and Fossil Creek Parkway in December 2019, but later changed its plans to include a fourth story. The company operates locations in Boulder, Frederick, Greeley, Longmont, Superior and Westminster, along with several locations in Pennsylvania.

Carpet Exchange issued a letter to the board ahead of the March 11 meeting where Guardian’s application was approved, claiming that its rights would be adversely affected by allowing a different interpretation of the city’s code and that “numerous impacts” would befall the retailer’s property if the storage building was erected.

However, city staff supported Guardian’s request for an exemption, and the board voted 4-3 to approve the project.

Carpet Exchange is asking the court to reverse the board’s decision and ban the city from issuing construction permits for the project.

The Fort Collins city attorney’s office declined to comment. Guardian did not respond to requests for comment Thursday afternoon.

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