Community and elected leaders railed Tuesday against a potential plan to turn a rundown corner of Southmore and Live Oak into a gas station and convenience store.

“This will be the fifth convenience store, gas station in less than a 200 meter radius,” said State Rep. Jolanda Jones.  “That’s unacceptable.”

Jones and others organized their fight just within the last few days after seeing a public notice about a proposed re-platting which may be difficult to stop given Houston’s lack of zoning laws.

And it’s unclear if deed restrictions apply to this particular property.

“Let me be clear, we are not opposed to development,” said adjacent homeowner Julia Saunders.  “But a gas station and convenience store is the wrong development for a residential area already struggling with serious crime.”

Saunders is among those also worried about the impact on property values.

“We’re not asking for special treatment, we’re asking for common sense.”

“The inexcusable lack of caring about what comes to our community is very concerning to me,” said  neighborhood president Tomaro Bell, who is also a longtime Riverside Terrace resident.  “We just had an amazing State of the City, we are a part of the city.”  “Let us relish in some of the wonderfulness that is happening in the city, don’t take it from us, we don’t deserve that.”

Right now, the city’s planning commission is set to take up the matter next month.

Meanwhile, residents have already organized a special town hall meeting for Friday night in order to mobilize against the store even more.

“We don’t need it, we don’t want it on this corner,” said Sharon Evans Brooks with the Riverside Civic Association.

We did reach out to a representative for the fuel company whose name was on the notice of public hearing but have not heard back.

Friday’s meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. at Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church.