Troy's Gas Station Moratorium Gets Extended
Vol. III, No. 324 - One Developer Says It's Costing Him Everyday
On Monday night, Troy City Council voted 8-1 to extend a ban on new gas station permit applications for another 90 days after a long and protracted discussion. The decision was not without controversy — one developer told council he has spent nearly $600,000 on a project that is now frozen in place, and at least one council member questioned whether the ban made sense at all.
What Is the Moratorium?
A moratorium is a temporary stop. In this case, Troy has put a pause on anyone submitting a new application to build a gas station or automobile service station in the city. The current moratorium expires May 30, 2026. Monday’s vote extends it through late August — meaning the full ban will cover roughly six months by the time it ends, assuming the city’s new rulebook isn’t finished sooner.
The city says the pause is needed while it finishes writing a new Unified Development Code — a 400-plus page master document that would replace several separate rulebooks. Until that document is adopted, city staff says it doesn’t want new gas station applications coming in under rules that may soon change.
A Developer Caught in the Middle
Mandeep Singh came to the meeting and made a direct appeal to council. Singh owns Troy Station LLC and has been working with the city since August 2023 to build a gas station at the corner of Dye Mill Road and South County Road 25A. The property was rezoned specifically to allow a gas station in July 2023.
Over the past two years, Singh says he paid $170,000 for the land and spent another $400,000 on engineers, architects, and design work — nearly $600,000 total. He was on the verge of submitting his final formal application when the moratorium hit.
His attorney asked council for an exception. Last week, a council committee wasn’t inclined to entertain that offer. She asked full council for the same. That was denied too.
His contractor told council that the delay is already costing the project more money, and that pushing construction further toward winter makes everything harder and more expensive.
Council Had Hard Questions
Councilman Jeff Schilling, the lone “no” vote, challenged the rationale directly. He asked city planning director Tim Davis whether he even knew what the new code would say about gas stations. Davis acknowledged he hadn’t seen that section of the draft. Schilling also pointed out that Troy has 22 gas stations currently operating without major code problems. “I’m not sure why we’re doing this anymore,” Schilling said.
Councilwoman Susan Westfall asked whether Singh’s project would even be affected once the new rules are adopted. The city couldn’t answer — they said they’d need an actual application in hand before they could make that determination. That application can’t be submitted until the moratorium is lifted.
A resident, speaking on the matter, made the argument that Singh’s two years of documented work with the city already qualifies as an “application” under the current zoning code’s own definition. City staff disagreed.
The Vote and What Comes Next
The final vote was 8-1 in favor of the extension, with Schilling dissenting. Council President William Rozelle made clear that a third extension could be a much harder sell. The city hopes to have the new code in front of the Planning Commission by early May, with council receiving a copy at the same time.
For Singh, the clock — and the costs — keep running.
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