Marion City Council discusses development moratorium

MARION — The last leg of a Marion development moratorium could be lifted this fall, nearly two years after it was first enacted.

City Council members last week approved the first reading of an ordinance that would set standards for future gas stations along portions of Tower Terrace Road, where such construction currently is barred by the moratorium.

The ordinance as written would allow gas stations at up to four intersections along Tower Terrace, specifically at Alburnett Road, Winslow Road, 35th Street and Highway 13. Each intersection would be limited to one gas station.

Station access would have to be along those four roads, as the ordinance disallows station access from Tower Terrace Road itself.

The ordinance further limits stations to a maximum of eight fuel pumps. Because pumps typically are two-sided, that would equate to no more than 16 vehicles being fueled at any one time.

“It’s a community need that we have, and it’s very desirable to have a gas station along Tower Terrace, but we want to make sure that we’re being very clear as to where we can serve that need while also not impacting the neighborhood in a negative way,” City Manager Ryan Waller said.

Subsequent approval will be required at the council’s next two meetings for the ordinance to take effect, after which the new standards would be adopted and the moratorium could be lifted.

The limit on gas stations along Tower Terrace Road was part of a larger development moratorium first enacted by City Council members in November 2023.

That moratorium temporarily limited certain commercial uses along stretches of Tower Terrace Road, Highway 13 and Uptown Marion to better plan for and assess potential impacts of commercial development in those growth areas.

The full moratorium applied to the creation of new vehicle service and repair businesses; gas stations; car washes; pawnshops; liquor, tobacco or vape shops; deep discount retail stores; crematory facilities; storage; outdoor sales; delayed deposits services; retail sales; and grocery.

It did not apply to businesses already operating or those that had applied for a building permit to expand before the moratorium went into effect.

Many of those limitations were lifted earlier this summer after city staff drafted updates to the zoning code that better addressed those uses and how best to ensure alignment with the city’s updated comprehensive plan.

Council members voted to extend the moratorium as it relates to gas stations along Tower Terrace Road through Oct. 1, however, to allow for additional fact-finding and consideration.

That process led to the current proposal as discussed last week by the City Council. The second consideration is scheduled for the council’s Aug. 21 meeting with a possible third reading on Sept. 4.

“I talk a lot about getting it right the first time,” Mayor Nick AbouAssaly said in discussing the updated proposal. “We won’t have a chance to redo it after it's done and the street is developed, but I think this is much improved.”

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