HARVEST, Ala. — There's a new Chevron Gas Station popping up in Harvest on the corner of Jeff Rd. and Burwell Rd. Residents are voicing their opinions online, including Derica Taylor, who started a petition against the move.
Taylor says she felt inclined to speak out against construction due to fears of safety. "There's only a single center center turn lane there to turn from Jeff on to Burwell," said Taylor, "It's kind of a mess already and it would just exacerbate that."
The location is near Sparkman High School, which is adding more concerns. "At the end of the day, when the kids are getting out, there's young, inexperienced drivers on the road already with the intersection already not functioning very well," said Taylor."
People who live in nearby neighborhoods also have fears of property values going down. Taylor said, "Your home is most likely your most valuable asset, so having a gas station in your backyard isn't isn't necessarily very good for your property value."
Because of zoning laws affecting the particular area in Madison County, starting a petition seemed as the best possible option. "There's really not a way for us to do much about it other than kind of a public outcry," said Taylor, "Maybe discourage the owner of the lot from using that lot for this purpose."
Madison county commissioner Phil Vandiver sent out a Facebook message explaining the situation to his constituents. Others commenting on the post discuss the fear of added traffic and congestion without a stop light.
The petition currently has just under 200 signatures.
