East Bay city bans development of new car washes

(BCN) -- The Brentwood City Council on Tuesday approved a ban on short-term rentals and the development of new car washes, but decided to table a conversation on banning new gas stations for a later date.

The Brentwood Planning Commission last month also recommended banning the development of new gas stations along with new car washes.

Before the decision, District 2 Councilmember Pa'tanisha Pierson said the city had too many car washes and found that District 2 was heavily inundated with gas stations. However, she noted that gas will continue to be necessary for people who drive gas-fueled vehicles.

"I know we're driving to a future of alternative fuel service stations. But that being said, we are banking on businesses staying in business, and once they're gone, the entity is gone," Pierson said, referring to the possibility of gas stations closing down. "I really like what we did with the tobacco regulations, where we would say we can never have more than this number in our city, versus let's never allow any more to come."

Councilmember Tony Oerlemans acknowledged that while he wasn't on board for a complete ban on new gas stations either, he did support one for short-term rentals, which are often offered through vacation rental platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo. City officials have long cited these rentals, which have been used to host large house parties, as neighborhood nuisances and potential safety risks. East Contra Costa County has experienced a spate of shootings at house parties in recent years.

Councilmember Jovita Mendoza said she was fine with banning all three, highlighting that an incoming Costco store would bring an additional 40 pumps to the city.
"The other thing is, I've never had a resident tell me they want another gas station," Mendoza said.

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