San Antonio residents were concerned about a proposal to build a QuikTrip gas station and convenience store less than a hundred feet from their homes and within 500 feet of the elementary school their children attend.  During their search for information regarding potential impacts, the residents found the CEDS gas station and convenience store webpage. 

After learning of the extensive gas station health effects scientific studies and our many successes helping other neighborhoods, the residents engaged CEDS to assist them in developing a strategy to protect their neighborhood and school.  During our research CEDS learned that San Antonio lacked the zoning laws adopted by other U.S. cities to guide gas stations to sites where the benefits could be provided without posing a threat to public health.  

CEDS encouraged the residents to provide the San Antonio City Council with the public support needed to enact such a law.  The residents then began reaching out to the 250 neighborhood associations active throughout their city to form the San Antonio Healthy Neighborhoods Alliance.   

The convenience store-gas station required a change in zoning.  In San Antonio the Zoning Commission holds a hearing on rezoning requests and then makes a recommendation to the City Council.  The residents and other Alliance members presented their concerns at the January Zoning Commission meeting.  Their testimony prompted the Commission to recommend denial of the rezoning request.  After the meeting the applicant withdrew their rezoning request.  Congratulations to the residents and other San Antonio Healthy Neighborhoods Alliance members.