Council declines staff proposal to study new gas‑station buffers now

Planning staff briefed the committee on possible changes to gas‑station restrictions in the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), showing benchmarking from nearby cities and maps illustrating how larger buffers would cover much of Aurora.

Marissa Noble, GIS planner, explained Aurora's current rules: new gas stations cannot be within 500 feet of an adult or child daycare, a hospital, an elementary or secondary school, nursing or group homes; stations are permitted in industrial zoning districts and allowed with a conditional use in mixed‑use districts. Noble showed examples: Lewisville capped stations and required EV chargers for remodels; Lakewood established half‑mile spacing and EV chargers; Denver enacted a quarter‑mile rule and other location limits.

Noble displayed quarter‑mile and half‑mile buffer maps and asked whether the council wanted to consider additional restrictions, which buffer to prefer, whether exceptions should exist for industrial areas or truck parking, and if gas‑station design standards should change.

Council members asked whether the item came from staff (it did) and whether it targeted new stations (yes). Several members said they were not prepared to pursue changes now: Council Member Gardner said she was not supportive and did not want to spend time on it; others observed that large portions of the city already disallow stations under current rules. Staff recorded council direction not to advance new buffer rules and to proceed with current UDO restrictions.

Outcome: staff will not move the buffer changes forward at this time and will maintain current UDO regulations.