On April 10, the Santa Rosa Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to decide whether or not to grant a conditional use permit for a new gas station at 874 North Wright Rd. at the western edge of Santa Rosa (intersection of Highway 12 and Fulton/Wright).
Between 2021 and 2023, all but three cities in the county, and the county itself, adopted permanent bans on the construction of new gas stations. Sonoma County is a national leader in this movement to stop building new gas stations, as Petaluma was the first-in-nation to do so in 2021.
Santa Rosa’s ban was adopted in 2022, but this proposal was exempted, not because it was special in some way, but because it was already “in the pipeline” with a completed permit application.
Longstanding city rules and all the reasons that Santa Rosa adopted a ban in 2022 still apply, and the project should be rejected. A new gas station is not needed at this site. There are already more than 10 within a five-mile radius.
The site is a seasonal wetland adjacent to the Joe Rodota Trail and to a large propane supplier. Adding a gas station so close to large above-ground propane tanks is not a good idea. The location is at a busy intersection already plagued with congestion and slated for a major redesign.
The Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations (con-gas.org) invites all concerned Sonoma County residents to attend the hearing and share their sentiments about this proposal. The Planning Commission is relying on an outdated environmental review in its decision-making.
More is known now about the serious health effects of exposure to gasoline and diesel. Recent studies have linked gasoline exposure to childhood leukemia. We know more about the consequences of climate change. The city adopted a Climate Emergency Resolution in 2020 and should act as though it meant it.
Woody Hastings and Jenny Blaker are co-coordinators of the Coalition Opposing New Gas Stations.
