Parents petition to stop gas station in Cary neighborhood

CARY, North Carolina (WTVD) -- More than 800 people have signed an online petition against a proposed gas station near several neighborhoods and a new elementary school.

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Documents show the proposal for a six-pump gas station, convenience store, and drive-thru tenant on the corner of O'Kelly Chapel Road and Stonecroft Lane is under site review.

Town staff held an open meeting with concerned residents in September, but the proposal has not gone before Town Council.

The petition, created during the summer, lists several reasons residents have for not wanting a gas station on the parcel of land zoned for commercial development; among them, health concerns for the children who attend Hortons Creek Elementary School, which opened this fall.

Pedestrian safety is also a concern for parents who either have children attending Hortons Creek or walking home every school day from a nearby bus stop.

"It's getting just too congested here in west Cary," said Kathy Heinkel, a resident. "My kids, too, they get off the bus stop right there at Stonecroft. The thought that they would have to cross the street amongst people coming in the gas station, that's too crazy."

Other residents told ABC11 they would prefer the gas station at the proposed site, saying it would be more convenient than the nearest Sheetz on Hwy 55.

Town staff said it could take several months before any plans are approved.