Commission rejects Clark Boulevard rezoning after residents object

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to reject a rezoning request to convert a stretch of Clark Boulevard from R1 to B1 for a proposed 7‑Eleven gas station after sustained resident opposition.

Andres Rubio of KCI Technologies, representing Lasco Development, described a preliminary site plan and said the developer had negotiated a 20‑year lease with 7‑Eleven. Rubio noted the site could be configured to meet spacing and emission-line requirements.

Multiple residents spoke in opposition, delivering an eight‑page objection packet and naming nearly 50 households that oppose the rezoning. Maria Pilar Monroy, who said she has lived on Clark Boulevard for more than two decades, told the commission the group represents 48 households and 17 families within a 300‑foot radius. "By introducing a high turnover commercial business here, you are creating a crash zone," Monroy said, citing concerns about curb cuts, fuel trucks, 24‑hour lighting and traffic collisions in the corridor.

Other commenters described health, noise and property‑value concerns and pointed out that existing gas stations are within a close radius. Michael Gaylord and Sandra Rocha Taylor urged the commission to protect the character of the Heights neighborhood and said the area already had sufficient fueling options.

Staff recommended a commercial use at the site because Clark Boulevard carries high average daily traffic (staff cited roughly 17,000 daily trips), but commissioners sided with nearby residents and voted to deny the zone change.

The rejection means the applicant will need to reconsider location or pursue alternative approaches such as seeking a conditional use permit in a location more suitable to commercial traffic patterns or identifying a different site.