MoCo Council wants to shrink gas station setbacks from schools, playgrounds and steams

[Anonymous]

They want to change the rules for the County so Costco can build a mega gas station in White Oak.
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/20250506_2A.pdf

Mink, Jawando and Friedson are pushing this change. Fani-Gonzalez introduced an amendment to retain more setbacks, but the committee blocked it.

Historically, Costco tried to threaten not to build a warehouse in Wheaton unless they allowed them to build the mega gas station. The community fought back and blocked the gas station. Costco still built the warehouse.

We have enough gas stations in MoCo and do not need mega gas stations next to our kids and our homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They want to change the rules for the County so Costco can build a mega gas station in White Oak.
https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/COUNCIL/Resources/Files/20250506_2A.pdf

Mink, Jawando and Friedson are pushing this change. Fani-Gonzalez introduced an amendment to retain more setbacks, but the committee blocked it.

Historically, Costco tried to threaten not to build a warehouse in Wheaton unless they allowed them to build the mega gas station. The community fought back and blocked the gas station. Costco still built the warehouse.

We have enough gas stations in MoCo and do not need mega gas stations next to our kids and our homes.

All this does is clarify how the distance is measured. It doesn’t change the distance. It’s a technical amendment. Nothing to see here.

[Anonymous]

Yawn. Gas stations are fine.

[Anonymous]

Disagree, it is not technical, they are changing the rules to make it easier to build mega gas stations where cars will be lining up and idling all day. They are saying the 500 ft, which is not that much btw, now only applies to the fuel dispensers, not the gas station as a whole. In a mega gas station that can be a significant difference. I would not want that behind my house. A regular gas station is one thing but a mega gas station is another.

"One of the signature compounds of concern is benzene a known human carcinogen," writes Professor Patrick N. Breysse in a March 5 letter. "A few studies have documented increased benzene and other compounds in the air around homes close to service stations. For example, a 2007 study in Greece concluded that gas stations are a significant contributor to the total benzene exposures and that this exposure increases leukemia risk from 3-21%. A more recent study in Spain found that elevated volatile pollutants (hexane and benzene) were detectable up to 75 m from service stations."
https://wjla.com/traffic/metro/will-montgomery-county-s-new-jumbo-gas-station-endanger-residents--15004

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yawn. Gas stations are fine.

Regular gas stations are fine in commercial areas with reasonable space from people's homes. Mega gas stations do not belong next to people's homes. That's insane.

[Anonymous]

Until 2015 the distance was 300 feet and it didn't even include housing. The sky didn't fall then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Until 2015 the distance was 300 feet and it didn't even include housing. The sky didn't fall then.

Nobody is arguing they cause the sky to fall?

Public health matters. Putting mega gas stations next to people's homes is unnecessary and has costs that may not be as visible or obvious as you'd like, but they are real.

[Anonymous]

Only a sociopath would think this is okay. You really have to just not care about kids to allow them to put something like this next to a school, Jfc. Anything for those political donations I guess.

[Anonymous]

Yall will complain about anything

[Anonymous]

I think this is dumb because Costco should want to build its warehouse regardless of whether it can build the gas station. The Wheaton Costco is basically always packed, and Costco needs to keep its stock price buzzing, so building another location seems like something that Costco will do regardless. Obviously Costco is out-negotiating the MoCo council, which isn't surprising.

Where in White Oak is Costco planning to build?

[Anonymous]

In Chevy Chase lake they built an apartment building right next to a gas station. People still chose to live there.

Love seeing Natali turn into a NIMBY now that it’s something that could be built in her district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In Chevy Chase lake they built an apartment building right next to a gas station. People still chose to live there.

Love seeing Natali turn into a NIMBY now that it’s something that could be built in her district.

1. Yes, people can choose that if they want, just like people can choose to live next to an existing interstate highway. It is something else to build an interstate highway next to someone's home or school.
2. There is a difference between a regular gas station and a mega gas station. Not just the actual gasoline and its storage but also the number of cars idling throughout the day.

There is also a difference between opposing housing and opposing a mega gas station. We need housing. We really don't need a mega gas station.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In Chevy Chase lake they built an apartment building right next to a gas station. People still chose to live there.

Love seeing Natali turn into a NIMBY now that it’s something that could be built in her district.

1. Yes, people can choose that if they want, just like people can choose to live next to an existing interstate highway. It is something else to build an interstate highway next to someone's home or school.
2. There is a difference between a regular gas station and a mega gas station. Not just the actual gasoline and its storage but also the number of cars idling throughout the day.

There is also a difference between opposing housing and opposing a mega gas station. We need housing. We really don't need a mega gas station.

So your argument is that after you move somewhere there shouldn’t be any changes that increase traffic? Sounds pretty NIMBY. If there isn’t demand for a gas station then Costco won’t build one.

[Anonymous]

A better option would be to turn the sears at monkey mall into a Costco.

Of course that will make it more like the plaza. But it would be an awesome addition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disagree, it is not technical, they are changing the rules to make it easier to build mega gas stations where cars will be lining up and idling all day. They are saying the 500 ft, which is not that much btw, now only applies to the fuel dispensers, not the gas station as a whole. In a mega gas station that can be a significant difference. I would not want that behind my house. A regular gas station is one thing but a mega gas station is another.

"One of the signature compounds of concern is benzene a known human carcinogen," writes Professor Patrick N. Breysse in a March 5 letter. "A few studies have documented increased benzene and other compounds in the air around homes close to service stations. For example, a 2007 study in Greece concluded that gas stations are a significant contributor to the total benzene exposures and that this exposure increases leukemia risk from 3-21%. A more recent study in Spain found that elevated volatile pollutants (hexane and benzene) were detectable up to 75 m from service stations."
https://wjla.com/traffic/metro/will-montgomery-county-s-new-jumbo-gas-station-endanger-residents--15004

Surely at some point people have to step back and question auto-dependency. No one wants cars or infrastructure near them but we keep designing in a way that requires them.