Negative impacts of fuel emissions

In class we have discussed the siting of a WAWA gas station at the corner of Grand Avenue and US 1 in Coral Gables one of the gateways to the historic Coconut Grove. This is also across the street from an elementary school. Given what we know about the negative impacts of fuel emissions on health The historic community living there is in support of the project because of the benefits that the company has proffered including scholarships and jobs at the gas station. The site was previously owned by Miami Dade County Public Housing and Community Development. It was transferred to the City of Coral Gables with the agreement that affordable housing development would go there. Check out an illustration of the future vision for the area here from 2002: http://archive.miamigov.com/planning/docs/guidelines/GrandAveVisionPlan.pdf (Links to an external site.) Questions: Here is additional information for you to consider: A copy of the initiative passed at the Nov. 19 2020 Miami Dade School Board meeting criticizing the City of Coral Gables for its failure to notify the school its administrators and the school systems superintendent of the plans to build a six-pump gas station within just 300 feet from GW Carver Elementary Schools entrance. http://pdfs.dadeschools.net/Bdarch/2020/Bd111820/regular-agenda.html (Links to an external site.)j (Links to an external site.) (Item H-9) A highlight reel from Coral Gables city commissioners meeting on Oct. 27 2020 containing complaints of 43 parents and residents about the gas station and the indifference they encountered from elected officials who pushed through this project without the normally required public hearing and with a commitment to expedite the review and approval process. Heres a link to the video and the full transcript is attached: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfH7qaS7K4s (Links to an external site.) https://we.tl/t-fAbuPKBpVQ (Links to an external site.) An online petition against the gas station now has more than 1150 signatures: https://bit.ly/3pKg1LG (Links to an external site.) A press release from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation naming the McFarlane Historic District abutting the proposed gas station one of the states “11 to Save” threatened historic properties. https://bit.ly/3lKiXFA (Links to an external site.) Article in Gables Insider: https://gablesinsider.com/who-represents-you-disregard-for-residents-a-growing-concern/ (Links to an external site.) Article in Miami Community Newspapers: https://communitynewspapers.com/coral-gables-news/how-did-a-historic-gables/ (Links to an external site.) Article in local blog “Not Now Silly”: https://notnowsilly.com/gaslighting-another-black-com

Requirements: 2000 words Is it wrong for a community to advocate for a gas station? What does this make you think about the current system of community benefits? Should benefits be measured in terms of their long term local and regional impact or only on the short term benefit of property owners and land developers?