It’ll be harder to get plans for a new gas station approved in Stonecrest than in the past.
On Monday, city leaders adopted new restrictions on gas stations and their attached convenience stores, limiting how many can be in the same area. Residents and councilmembers have raised concerns since 2019 about an oversaturation of such businesses within the city.
A moratorium on new gas stations has been in place since February to prevent more from opening. City leaders said it would give staff time to write more stringent requirements into the city’s zoning code. The moratorium mirrored a similar ban on new dollar stores in Stonecrest and DeKalb County.
The temporary ban, which is set to expire Aug. 7, will be lifted as soon as the new code is formally signed by Mayor Pro Tem George Turner, who currently executing mayoral powers while Mayor Jason Lary remains on medical leave.
“We have had several applications for gas station convenience stores within the last 12 months,” Turner said during a January meeting. “And when you think you’ve had all you’re going to get, others keep popping up.”
The new code says gas station convenience stores must include at 5,000 square feet of retail space. And gas stations that sell alcohol also have to be at least 600 feet away from schools, colleges, educational facilities and sexually oriented businesses, which is twice as far as the previous requirement. No more than two gas stations can be located at any given intersection in the city, and all other gas stations must be at least 1,500 feet apart.
Monday’s vote passed unanimously and without any further discussion from the City Council.
About the Author
