Northwest Indiana Discussion

I left the school board meeting early to attend this meeting on the BP gas station at 6906 Hohman. This meeting was held in the cafeteria of Kenwood school. This was a meeting for the neighbors in close proximity to the gas station. Mailers were sent out about this meeting, but none of the people in attendance, who live in that neighborhood, received a mailing. They found out about the meeting by word of mouth. I, on the other hand, received a mailing, as did MY neighbors, even though we are a good mile+ away from this gas station. Very interesting.
The BP station has new owners as of last April-May. They want to remove the repair bays, and expand the grocery section, making a substantially large convenience foods section. There is already a convenience store across the street. Of the approximately 40 neighbors who attended this meeting, nearly all want the gas station closed. They cited the long hours of operation, the noise, the light pollution, and the undesirables walking through the neighborhood. They said that a gas station doesn't belong in a residential zoned neighborhood. It appears the gas station was grandfathered in for zoning purposes.
Besides the traffic, clientele, noise, and light pollution concerns, there was also questions about possible contamination of the soil.
The new owners of this gas station, Louie and Bill, no last names given, who, by their own admission, live in Tinley Park, and Glenwood, also own gas stations at 103rd and Cottage and 103rd and Ashland, in a depressed area of Chicago. The one co-owner said he is moving to Indiana, and is looking at a house in Schererville.
As stated at the meeting this evening,the zoning changes for this gas station have to be voted on by the council.