Alex Dalton

Valparaiso City Councilman Robert Cotton, D-2nd, wants his city to weigh approaches to limiting the number of new gas stations that open their doors within Valparaiso's borders.

Speaking with The Times on Monday afternoon, Cotton said that he is not yet committed to a specific policy, but believes that Valparaiso is "already over-served" by gas stations and should proactively curtail their spread.

"I want the Plan Commission to study it," he said. "I don't want the council to do anything before we have a better understanding of what might make sense."

According to data compiled by the National Association of Convenience Stores, there are 121,852 convenience stores that sell vehicle fuel in the United States. These stores, according to the NACS, account for 80% of the fuel

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