A Pasco County city focused on growth is saying no to a particular kind of store in downtown.
The New Port Richey City Council recently voted in favor of a new ordinance that would prohibit convenience stores from opening downtown.
"We think convenience stores are a deterrent to traditional businesses in the downtown area," City Manager Debbie Manns said.
The convenience store that already exists in downtown New Port Richey - Main Street Food Mart - has already been connected to dozens of 911 calls in this year alone.
"Thirty-four suspicious persons calls, we had four batteries, three assaults, four drug violations," said Police Chief Kim Bogart.
Most people we spoke to agree that convenience stores can attract crime but some businesses say prohibiting new ones is a slippery slope.
"When you start saying 'We have too many of this or too many of that,' where do we stop?” said owner of Boulevard Beef & Ale Joe Nordon. “Too many hair salons, too many restaurants?"
We showed businesses the list of 911 calls connected to Main Street Food Mart.
“The chief's right," Nordon said. "I don't have to look at the numbers. I know there's a problem."
But it didn’t make much of a difference on how they felt about the ordinance. Lisa Richard, manager at Belle Elan Salon says, let them come.
“I think there's the same amount of crime and issues anywhere, whether it’s a convenience store or a clothing store," she said.
We asked Main Street Food Mart for a comment but they declined.
City council hold its final vote on the ordinance on Feb. 2.