HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #023 Gavin Inglis
Shestak, Joe
From:Gavin Inglis <gavininglis@me.com>
Sent:Tuesday, June 30, 2020 11:18 AM
To:Shestak, Joe
Subject:Gas station @ 131st and Towne. Docket No. PZ-2020-00093-96V
Follow Up Flag:Follow up
Flag Status:Completed
**** This is an EXTERNAL email. Please exercise caution and Do Not open attachments or click links from
unknown senders or unexpected email. ****
Mr. Shestak,
My name is Gavin H Inglis MD. I live in The Village of WestClay and found out that there are plans to build a gas station
in my neighborhood. I have been told that there is great support from residents in the Village of West Clay. I find that
interesting as I just found out that it was going to happen and the neighbors with whom I have spoken all stand against
the idea. So that begs the question, who exactly is supporting this move?
As a resident of The Village, I find myself asking the simple and practical question of why? We don’t need a gas station in
the neighborhood. There are gas stations all around us. It is 3.3 miles to the Meijer Express Gas Station. It is 3.7 miles to
the GetGo Cafe and Market Gas Station and it is 4.4 miles to the Marathon Gas Station at 106th and Michigan. Each of
those gas stations is located next to our closest grocery stores that we frequent to fill our cupboards (Meijer’s, Market
District and Kroger respectively). We are already using these stations and will continue to do so as we have to shop for
groceries right next to them.
As an Emergency Medicine Physician at St.Vincent’s Level I Trauma Center, I am concerned about the health risks of
putting a gas station in the middle of a neighborhood. I have provided several references for your review from several
reputable sources
(https://hub.jhu.edu/2014/10/07/GAS-STATION-SPILLS/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22028451/
https://phys.org/news/2018-10-gas-stations-vent-toxic-fumes.html
https://www.indianaenvironmentalreporter.org/posts/gas-stations-emit-10-times-more-benzene-than-previously-
recorded).
Beyond the questions of need and health, there are more concerns about things like safety. For a gas station to survive, it
will have to draw cars and trucks to its location. Bringing more cars and trucks into a neighborhood environment will
increase the risk to our youngest neighbors. There is the increased risk of crime as 10% of all robberies in the US occur at
convenience stores and gas stations (FBI NationalCrimeStatistics https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-
the-u.s.-2018/tables/table-23).
There is also concern about the property value of those of us that live here. A recent study shows that those within
300 ft could see as much as a 16% decrease in home value and those within 1500 feet could see as much as a 9%
decrease (http://www.josre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-Impacts-of-Gasoline-Stations-on-Residential-
Property-Values-A-Case-Study-in-Xuancheng-China.pdf)
1
In summary, I as a resident of The Village of WestClay I am against putting a gas station in the neighborhood setting. We
don’t need it. It is a health risk to the neighbors. It is a risk to the safety of the residents both by traffic and risk of crime
and diminishes property value.
Thank you for your consideration,
Gavin H Inglis, MD FACEP
The Village of WestClay Homeowner
2