Residents in Third Ward are organizing to oppose a proposed gas station and convenience store, arguing the project would increase crime, strain aging infrastructure, and disrupt the character of their historic neighborhood.
The development, referred to by some neighbors as an STO, is planned near the Riverside Terrace community. Many residents say they only recently became aware of the proposal and are now mobilizing to prevent it from moving forward.
State Rep. Jolanda Jones said her office recently learned of the proposed project and began reaching out to city officials.
Jones said she contacted Mayor John Whitmire’s, members of the Houston City Council, and the city’s planning committee to gather information and develop a strategy.
“We have worked hard to make this neighborhood where people want to be,” Jones said.
She questioned whether a similar project would move forward in more affluent parts of the city.
“Take this STO and put it in River Oaks and see how the city protects River Oaks from stuff like this,” she said.
Jones also raised concerns about the public notice process, saying a required sign announcing the proposed property change was removed.
“They had their notice up. And within days, they had taken their little sign down,” she said. “They are supposed to have it up continuously.”
Houston City Council member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, who represents District D, said she has contacted the mayor about the development.
“We have some environmental issues that we are very concerned about, and we also don’t see the need for a gas station when there are two right down the street.”
Carolyn Evans Shabazz
“We have some environmental issues that we are very concerned about, and we also don’t see the need for a gas station when there are two right down the street,” Evans-Shabazz said.
She said Mayor John Whitmire told her he would consult with the planning commission to better understand the proposal.
The mayor’s office said they are, indeed, working on the issue “We are in communication with all stakeholders, including the property owner, developer, residents and elected officials. However, with no zoning in the City of Houston our options are limited. The discussions will continue,” Whitmire said.
Evans-Shabazz added that she is concerned about potential crime and loitering near the site.
“You have a funeral home across the street, you have a strip center — but certainly my concern is attracting crime and homeless people who tend to come and stay around these establishments,” she said.
Evans-Shabazz urged property owners considering selling land in the area to work with her office and neighbors to better understand who may be purchasing property in the area.
Community leaders say the proposal raises broader concerns about preserving the neighborhood’s legacy.
Sharon Evans Brooks, president of the Riverside Terrace Civic Club, which represents more than 1,000 households, said residents are concerned about the long-term consequences.
“Developers who do not care about our legacy only seek to build businesses to erect money, step away, leaving owners to hold the bag for vagrancy, drug sales, prostitution, noise, trash, and God knows what,” Brooks said. “This isn’t what I’ve heard — this is what I’ve seen. It’s what I’ve witnessed.”
Tamrao Bell, president of the MacGregor Super Neighborhood and former chair of the Super Neighborhood Alliance, cited concerns about aging infrastructure and the installation of underground fuel tanks.
“The amount of depth that you have to put a tank in the ground with gas, with this aged infrastructure that is here, who is to say you won’t take out the whole neighborhood?” Bell said.
Statistics on gas station issues
HEALTH
One study finds contaminant levels in convenience store-gas station runoff were 5 to 30 times higher compared to residential runoff.
Leaks are a persistent problem – one study found a typical gas station can spill 100 gallons of gasoline a year and contamination from leaking tanks can get into the soil and groundwater for decades.
Gas station vent pipes emit benzene vapors. Multiple scientific studies have documented an increased risk of cancer and other adverse health effects among people living, learning or working within 500 to 1,000 feet of a gas station.
CRIME
According to the FBI, 4.5% of all reported violent crimes in 2022 took place at a gas station or convenience store. Gas stations/convenience stores were the site of 13.8% of robberies that year.
EQUITY
Multiple studies found a higher proportion of convenience stores in minority and low-income neighborhoods compared to white and wealthier neighborhoods.
