Bay Area city looks likely to ban construction of new gas stations – By Andrew Chamings (SFGATE) / Oct 31, 2022
After a unanimous vote at its city council meeting last week, Novato is close to becoming the first city in Marin County to ban the construction of new gas stations. The ordinance will likely be fully approved in the coming weeks.
Novato mayor Eric Lucan says the city has been at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change. “Over the years, Novato has regularly invested in combating climate change,” Lucan told SFGATE over email. “In just a little over a decade, new gas powered vehicles won’t even be available for purchase in California. The ban on new gas stations is line with our community goals and the move to clean fuel vehicles.”
There are currently 12 gas stations in the North Bay city and two more pending construction, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
In March 2021, Petaluma, 10 miles north of Novato on Route 101, became the first city in the country to enact a ban on new gas stations. Since then a handful of other cities in Wine Country followed suit, including Santa Rosa, Cotati, Rohnert Park, Windsor and Sebastopol. The Napa and Sonoma region has seen the devastating effect of climate change up close in recent years. In 2017, the Tubbs Fire destroyed over 5,000 structures and took 22 lives in Santa Rosa and the surrounding area.
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