LECLAIRE, Iowa -- A group of neighbors filed a joint-lawsuit in an attempt to prevent a gas station from being built in the area where they live and own property.
The city council approved a proposal to build a Kwik Star gas station at S. Cody Road (Highway 67) and Eagle Ridge Road. The company also filed a petition to rezone 3.3 acres of land from residential use to commercial use; the council approved this in February.
The lawsuit argues that the gas station will hinder the enjoyment and value of their property.
"I hope it doesn’t hurt my property value either, if my property value goes down it's gonna be tough to sell," said neighbor Jamie Kammerer, who's lived along Highway 67 for 15 years. Kammerer is not taking part in the lawsuit, but said he could see the gas station as a potential nuisance.
"Nobody looks at the fact that it's in my backyard and it's in other people’s backyards," he said. "I think there's 17 homes within 200 yards that it affects, but you ask someone, "Do you want the gas station next to your house?" and they have a different perspective on it."
Kammerer also said with other gas stations in the area, he could see it as a potential burden for competing businesses in the area, like the Shell station located further up Eagle Ridge Road.
A council member said that despite the lawsuit, the city is taking no action to hold up the construction of Kwik Star. As of June 18, 2018, there is no proposed timeline on when the gas station could be built.
