The Kyle City Council discussed an ordinance amendment to restrict the amount of gas stations, car washes and self-storage facilities within the city at a regular meeting Feb. 15.
As the city has grown, these businesses have been popping up more, and there seems to be an overabundance of them, City Planner Will Atkinson said at the meeting. He said there could be better utilizations of land moving forward.
In Kyle, there are 26 gas stations, nine car washes and six self-storage facilities. Based on national averages of these facilities in comparison to the city’s averages, the demand for these facilities is much lower than the number of facilities, according to agenda documents.
The documents show based on the city’s population, Kyle needs 15.27 gas stations, 2.58 car washes and 2.57 self-storage facilities.
Per the suggested ordinance amendment, new gas stations would only be allowed if the applicant can prove that 5,000 new residents have moved into the area and can support the business.
Council Member Robert Rizo highlighted this would not stop all future buildings but would stop them from being on every corner throughout the city.
Based on guidelines presented by staff, if a new facility was approved, new gas stations would have to be a mile away from another; new car washes would have to be a mile and a half away from another; and self-storage facilities would have to be 2 miles away from another.
“I am really excited that you guys brought this to our attention,” Council Member Yvonne Flores-Cale said. “I feel like there is a huge overabundance of [gas stations and car washes].”
In opposition, Mayor Travis Mitchell said that gas station and car washes are convenience retail on small pieces of land used by the nearby residents that set the market.
“It’s a service that is so valuable to me that I will switch car washes in order to get something closer. It’s the exact same thing with [coffee]: I go to the one that is closest. It’s the exact same way with gas stations: I get gas wherever it’s closest,” Mitchell said.
Council Member Dex Ellison also chimed in in opposition of the ordinance to restrict these businesses.
“If it were a Walgreens or something, would there still be that frustration? What is it about a gas pump that changes that?” Ellison said.
A split council adjourned into executive session to discuss the matter further, and ultimately, council voted on and approved restrictions of self-storage facilities on first reading, while the vote on restricting gas stations and car washes was tabled. The restrictions on self-storage facilities will come up again at a future council meeting before final approval.
