During their research into a proposal to build a gas station near their homes, Denver area residents came across the CEDS How To Stop Poorly-Planned Gas Stations & Convenience Stores webpage: https://ceds.org/gasstation/. This webpage included a summary and links to scientific studies indicating that gas station benzene emissions could jeopardize the health of those living, learning, or working within a thousand feet. The webpage also described other potential gas station-convenience store impacts such as increased crime associated with alcohol sales and childhood obesity due to junk food sales.
After engaging CEDS, we suggested the resident leaders mobilize support among all those living within a thousand feet under the banner of the Adams County Healthy Neighborhoods Alliance. We helped the residents start the petition at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6820PECOS. Eventually more than a hundred area residents signed the petition. But unlike most petitions which elected officials can easily ignore, signers were asked to explain why they were concerned about the proposed gas station. These explanations show savvy elected officials that unlike those who sign most petitions and then forget the issue in a week or so, these signers had taken the time to understand potential impacts and would likely remember how elected officials acted come the next election. The officials were provided with the:
- Copy of the petition,
- A map showing signer locations,
- A compilation of their reasons for signing posted, in the form of the results at: https://app.box.com/s/ezgkplytaex3bwwxph8epd8akmzsbd9n.
The gas station required a change in zoning, which was recently denied.