Paxton community at odds with city officials on new gas station

PAXTON, Ill. (WCIA) — A big change is coming to one neighborhood in Paxton, and some people aren’t happy about it.

The city council approved a proposal at its last meeting to rezone two empty lots to make room for a new gas station.

Carole Johnson has been living on South Cherry Street for more than 30 years. Now, she’ll have to call a gas station her next door neighbor.

“Why do we need another gas station? There’s four here for this little town. That’s a little much,” Johnson said.

Cherry Street is right off a busier one: Ottawa Road. Mayor Bill Ingold said the gas station will go right on the residential street, taking the space of a former car wash.

“I’ve worked on this for a year and a half,” Ingold said.

He said the city searched for locations for a long time, and estimates that more than 6,000 people get off Interstate 57 every day to fuel up in Paxton. But Johnson said it’s something that’s forced her to consider moving.

“Who would want a gas station in their yard,” she asked, “just thinking about people off the interstate, all the trash, everything that you know is going to have to happen for it to be a gas station?”

Mayor Ingold said the city did look at other locations to build an even larger gas station, but couldn’t secure a big enough space. He said it’s still the right move.

“This is what we’re about. We’re trying to encourage as much economic development as we can in Paxton.”

But Johnson and others in the neighborhood believe something else — like a park — could have filled the empty lot to better the community.

Ingold said the station will have a convenience store, a quick service restaurant, and electrical vehicle charging. The city will not spend any money on the project. It’ll come from real estate taxes.

There’s no timeline for the project yet.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com.