City Council Committee to Discuss Gas Station Moratorium
Vol. III, No. 222 - Proposals seeks to tighten gas station development in town
Back in July 2024, this newsletter asked a simple but important question: Do we really need so many gas stations in Troy? At that time, the piece explained that most planning guidelines suggest one gas station for every 2,500 to 4,000 people, which would mean about 6 to 10 stations for a city our size, not the 17 to 20 that appear to be operating here. The article also warned that too many gas stations could hurt our local economy, damage the environment, and leave behind empty, hard-to-reuse sites if businesses close.
Now, about 18 months later, City Hall is finally responding.
The City Administration has asked City Council to approve a temporary moratorium on new gas stations and related permits. A moratorium is a pause, not a permanent ban, and this one would last until May 30, 2026, while the city finishes the new Unified Development Code, or UDC, which is the updated zoning and development rulebook for Troy.
The memo from the City’s Director of Public Service and Safety states that there are currently about 20 automobile fuel dispensing or service stations in Troy. Staff also note that they have been getting more and more inquiries from companies that want to build new or expanded gas stations, sometimes even asking for rezoning in key commercial areas. The concern is that, without clearer rules, Troy could see even more gas stations crowd into a small number of important corridors, shaping how those streets look and work for decades. A map of the current gas stations in Troy is shown below.
City staff give several reasons for requesting this pause. First, the existing zoning code does not clearly define “automobile fuel dispensing stations,” which makes it harder to review and regulate new proposals fairly and consistently. Second, the city needs time to study how gas stations affect soils and groundwater, traffic patterns, noise, lighting, market saturation, and whether this use fits the city’s long-term land use plans.
The proposed moratorium would stop the city from accepting new zoning applications or issuing new permits for gas stations and automobile service stations until the end of May. During this time, staff and the city’s consultants will continue drafting the UDC and preparing it for review by the Planning Commission and City Council, likely toward the end of the first quarter of 2026. The goal is to have modern, clearer rules in place before any more permanent decisions are made about where gas stations can go.
This is not the first time Troy has used a moratorium while working on the new development code. In September 2025, Council approved a 270‑day moratorium on new applications for Community‑Oriented Residential Social Service Facilities, also tied to the UDC update, and that pause also runs through May 30, 2026. City staff are now asking that the gas station moratorium match that same time frame so the issues can be reviewed together.
For residents, this moment is about more than pumps and convenience stores. It is about what kinds of businesses, buildings, and public spaces will shape Troy’s main roads and neighborhoods over the next generation. Too many gas stations in the wrong places can crowd out other uses, create more pavement and runoff, and leave a trail of difficult properties to reuse if the market changes or if fuel demand drops in the future.
The City Council’s Community and Economic Development Committee is set to discuss the moratorium request on Monday, January 12, at 6:00 p.m. Residents who care about how Troy grows are encouraged to attend, listen, and, if they wish, speak in support of taking a careful, time‑limited pause while better rules are written. Showing up for this kind of meeting is one small but powerful way to build civic capacity and help ensure that future development matches the community’s values and long‑term vision.
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