ADA, Mich. — Donna Hull loves her family-friendly neighborhood in Ada Township but says traffic has become a problem.
"I work 3.5 miles away and it takes me a half an hour to get to work," said Hull.
That's one of the reasons Hull and other neighbors became concerned when they heard about the proposed development of a new gas station near the corner of Knapp Street NE and Pettis Avenue NE.
"I just think it's a bad idea and a bad location for it. This is a nice and quiet area and we don't want it to get busy and crazy," said David Greene another neighbor.
Monday night more than a hundred neighbors showed up to express their opposition to the potential developer, J & H Oil Company, which currently operates more than fifty gas stations across West Michigan.
Craig Hoppen is the President of J & H and he says there is support for the development.
"For one thing a lot of people don't want to send their kids down to the Beltline and get gas and get into that type of thing especially when they're young drivers," says Hoppen. The proposed location is just across the street from Forest Hills Eastern High School.
But in addition to traffic and safety concerns, some neighbors are worried the chemicals from the new gas station could contaminate the area's water supply.
"We don't want to be poisoned by any type of gasoline that would get into that system for ourselves, for our kids, the high schoolers. So that's the number one concern," said Chris Agents a neighbor.
It is important to note that nothing is final in relation to the gas station development. Neighbors say they now plan to go before Ada's planning commission in the coming weeks to also express their opposition.
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