Case Summary
Greenville, N.C. residents are challenging the special use permit for construction of a RaceTrac gas station at 3201 N. Memorial Drive - only 1,000 feet away from Wellcome Middle School and next to the Brookhaven neighborhood.
Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) submitted an appeal to Pitt County Superior Court on Nov. 20, 2024, on behalf of several residents of the Brookhaven Community Association, claiming the City of Greenville's Board of Adjustment inappropriately dismissed the complaints and testimony of residents who spoke against the proposal, and issued the special use permit in violation of the city's stated policies for development projects like gas stations.
In June 2025, community members and partners gathered at the Pitt County Courthouse to show support as SCSJ's EJ team appealed the city's approval of a RaceTrac gas station next to the neighborhood and across from Wellcome Middle School. The judge ruled in favor of the Brookhaven community by accepting evidence related to why they have a right to be heard about their opposition to the gas station.
Why it's Important
Constructing a gas station close to a middle school that serves many low-income children and a historically Black-owned neighborhood that is home to many senior citizens puts the health, safety, and psychological well-being of both populations at risk. The increase in noise, light, and vehicle emissions pollution will disrupt the quality of life for residents and harm the health of students, and increased traffic poses safety risks to children walking to and from school.
Brookhaven is a historically Black community that is majority homeowner-inhabited by longtime residents. This gas station could impact the value of residents’ homes, the primary way for families to build and transfer intergenerational wealth.
The Board of Adjustment also ignored the testimony of residents and experts, and kept procedures and practices out of sight from the public in violation of state law.
