Worcester Councilors Tank Gas Station Ban Proposal

WORCESTER, MA — When it comes to gas stations, Worcester tank apparently isn't full yet.

The City Council on Tuesday voted 6 to 5 to kill a citizen petition asking for a zoning change to prevent the construction of new gas stations in Worcester. The proposal, sent to Council last week, was aimed at reducing carbon emissions, and helping the city achieve its climate change goals.

At last week's meeting, At-Large Councilor Morris Bergman asked to hold the petition for one week. When it came up again on Tuesday, he moved to "file" the petition — a parliamentary move that effectively kills an issue.

Bergman said that the Council in 2021 had already agreed to a timeframe to phase out all gas stations by 2045. The petition before Council on Tuesday was not about closing existing gas stations, but changing the zoning code to prevent new ones from being built.

Related: Worcester Gas Station Ban: City Wouldn't Be First In U.S.

District 3 Councilor George Russell seconded Bergman's motion to file the petition. He and Bergman, At-Large Councilor Donna Colorio, District 2 Councilor Candy Mero-Carlson, Mayor Joseph Petty and At-Large Councilor Kate Toomey all voted to file.

Russell also put forth a separate order to have a general discussion about encouraging the use of electric vehicles. That order passed 10 to 1 with District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj the sole no vote.

"The motion would be to have the [City Council Economic Development Subcommittee] discuss the future of electric vehicles and how to encourage them in the city," Russell said of his added order.

The citizen petition to ban new gas stations came after a victory in the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in December for residents opposed to new gas stations. A developer withdrew a plan for a new filling station near Austin Liquors along Park Avenue — located about 850 feet from the next closest station.

A second plan for a new gas station in a vacant lot at 75 Quinsigamond Ave. has also been proceeding through the ZBA in recent weeks. The project was set for a public hearing on Monday, but the developer asked for the hearing to be held until the next ZBA meeting on Feb. 28.

There are more than 30 gas stations spread across Worcester, according to state records for underground gas storage permits. Most stations are clustered in the central core of the city and along major roads like Gold Star Boulevard, Park Avenue and Belmont Street. Some neighborhoods have no stations, however — there are none in the entire northwest portion of the city between Holden, Pleasant Street, Route 12 and I-190, for example.