Lockport Amends Zoning Code For Gas Stations

LOCKPORT, IL — After a temporary moratorium on gas stations, the Lockport City Council has approved amendments to its zoning code for future gas station developments.

Previously, gas stations were a permitted use in C-2 community commercial zoning, C-3 highway commercial zoning and M-1 limited manufacturing zoning. They were also a special use for C-1 neighborhood commercial zoning and C-2T community commercial-transition zoning, according to council documents.

Now, after the amendments approved by the city council at Wednesday's meeting, gas stations are a special use for all previously permitted zoning areas (C-2, C-3 and M-1) and are not allowed in C-2T or C-1.

City Administrator Ben Benson said the considerations of gas stations' environmental impacts were probably the biggest driver behind the amendments. He said the city has been getting a lot of inquiries about gas station developments.

The special use exemption for gas stations permits them only along eight intersections in Lockport: 151st Street and Archer Avenue, 143rd Street and Archer, 159th Street and Farrell Road, Bruce Road and Briggs Street, Bruce Road and Gougar Road, Cedar Road and 167th Street, Cedar Road and 159th, and Thornton and 159th.

"More gas stations are fine, but let's have some better understanding on how they will play out in the community," Benson said, adding that the city didn't want multiple gas stations at one intersection or near a public water supply.

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