HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Officials from Mayor John Whitmire’s office presented a proposed ordinance to the Houston City Council this week that would require new gas stations to be built mostly outside residential areas.
“It’s a quality-of-life issue,” Whitmire said. “They tend to light up bright, and they’re sometimes a gathering place for people who aren’t shopping.”
Officials say the ordinance is still being drafted, but it would require most new stations to be built along major thoroughfares.
Existing gas stations wouldn’t be subjected to the ordinance, according to the presentation.
Whitmire told ABC13 that citizens have complained about the presence of gas stations in residential areas.
Earlier this month, ABC13 spoke to Midtown residents who protested a proposed gas station on McGowen Street.
READ MORE: Midtown residents protesting against a proposed new gas station
Eyewitness News had some questions, though, as the ordinance is discussed for a city that famously has no zoning laws.
ABC13 asked Whitmire if this ordinance might serve as a gateway to zoning laws in the city.
“That oughta be a citywide discussion,” the mayor said. “Not just (for) an industry.”
Whitmire didn’t rule out having that larger conversation with the community.
“We will continue to listen to the public,” he said. “And if it’s appropriate at the right time, we can move in that direction.
The mayor pointed out that alcohol can’t be served within a certain distance of churches to illustrate his belief that this proposed ordinance isn’t unprecedented.
The potential gas station ordinance wouldn’t take effect until next year, according to a presentation by Whitmire’s office.
Rice University’s Kinder Institute says zoning laws have come up for three separate votes in Houston over the years. None of those efforts were successful.
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