In response to concerns over trucks carrying diesel fuel, home heating oil and propane using Pontiac neighborhood streets, Ward 8 Councilman Joseph Gallucci will introduce an ordinance under unanimous consent at Monday’s Council meeting limiting fuel truck traffic to Pontiac Avenue.

Gallucci said yesterday he considered a resolution but went with an ordinance since it’s more than simply a request, but a law. Gallucci said the Pontiac Avenue restriction should not adversely impact businesses in the area while reducing traffic on neighborhood streets.

Gallucci’s proposal comes in response to Petro Home Services’ plan to install a 30,000-gallon propane tank at their facility on Knight Street. The cylindrical tank, raised on concrete stanchions, would be 11 feet wide by 47 feet long, or about the size of a school bus.

The plan has gained approval by the Warwick fire marshal and, according to testimony given during a community informational meeting last month, would be installed and operational for use this winter. Deliveries to the tank are expected to occur twice during the winter months and monthly in the summer. The tank would be used to charge smaller delivery trucks delivering the fuel to homes and businesses throughout the state.

City approval of the facility came as a surprise to the Pontiac Village Association that reviewed the plan at an August meeting, raising concerns over safety and traffic. No representative of the fire department attended the August meeting, according to association president David Bouchard. He argued the neighborhood’s concerns had not been considered.

“The association wants to stop it,” Gallucci said yesterday, “but they can’t do it.”

He observed that the Petro property is properly zoned for the facility and what is proposed meets safety standards and requirements.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” said Gallucci.

He said he believes restricting truck traffic to Pontiac Avenue would not be a hardship for Petro while easing traffic on nearby residential streets.

A representative for the company could not be reached for comment.