Prince George's County council limits convenience store density

The Prince George's County council in the state of Maryland recently voted 10-0 in favor of enacting a measure limiting how densely convenience stores can be packed together in the area.

Council Member Krystal Oriadha said in October that there is a problem with "overconcentration" of the stores.

"They call themselves convenience stores," she said. "They are just tobacco shops with chips and soda."

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Just ahead of the county council's vote to enact the proposal, Antonio Mingo said that convenience stores have brought problems like violence and noise to the community. During his remarks, Mingo noted he is from Suitland, Maryland.

But Sarah Price of the Maryland Retailers Alliance asserted that "with the exception of transit-oriented activity zones… this proposal would effectively shut down future development for standalone… non-gas station convenience stores in Prince George's County."

The text of the measure states, "A convenience store use may not be conducted on property within three miles, measured from the property line, of a building in which a convenience store use is legally operating with a use and occupancy permit. 

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"This provision shall not apply to any convenience store use legally operating with a use and occupancy permit as of December 31, 2024, nor any change in occupancy of such convenience store uses after that date," it reads.

But there are exceptions.

"Convenience store uses conducted in Transit-Oriented/Activity Center Zones and Transit-Oriented/Activity Center Planned Development Zones shall not be subject to the limitations set forth in Subsections (i) and (ii) above," the measure indicates.

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Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks recently defeated former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in a U.S. Senate contest.