PIEDMONT — The popular Valero service station in the center of town will close end of April and plans are up in the air as to what will become of the site.
Operator Simon Ho was in negotiations for several months with landlord Tarvinder Bains over a steep rise in rent from $7,000 to $17,000 per month. Ho has operated the station, convenience mart and auto repair shop for about 10 years.
“(The landlord) would not budge at all. ‘You pay you stay or you’ve got to go’ “ Ho was told.
So Ho will begin closing up shop in mid-April. The station will close on April 30.
“It’s a big job shutting down the service bay,” Ho said. “I need time to get things together.
“This has been my home here, 12 hour days every day. I have my three meals here. I will miss everyone here.”
He is moving to an auto repair shop he bought from a retiring owner, and bringing in his equipment.
“No more gas and convenience store,” Ho said.
His new business will be in the Dimond district at 1499 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland.
The city of Piedmont is not sure what the future holds for the site. Planning Director Kevin Jackson said Mayor Bob McBain in December wrote to Bains asking what her plans were. The city received no reply. Bains could not be reached by the Piedmonter for comment.
Jackson said city code Chapter 17 modified Zone D, the commercial zone, to include mixed-use commercial/multi-family residential that went into effect in 2014. It was not a rezoning and did not require a vote by residents, Jackson said.
If housing units were to be built on the site, environmental cleanup would be likely. Any change of use would be subject to stringent review by the city and approval of a conditional use permit. Jackson said the matter could be complicated if there are deed restrictions on the property.
Across town, the other Piedmont station, a Shell station at Wildwood and Grand avenues is up for sale.
Owner/operator Jeff Hansen said stations are pumping less gas with the advent of electric and hybrid vehicles. Shell also does auto servicing and sells tires.
“There’s a mandate that underground fuel tanks be replaced by 2025. That will come up fast and it’s expensive, about $600,000 to make the conversion. And it takes three to six months,” Hansen said.
“We are pumping less, rolling the dice. But I’m OK sitting on a good location,” Hansen said.
Piedmont’s Vice-Mayor Teddy King is saddened that Ho is leaving.
“Piedmont has such a small commercial community it’s really heartbreaking to see a valued member of our town leave. He and the city worked to make the business successful as possible. I buy my gas exclusively there.
“We can figure out some positive land use in that location I suppose,” King said.
Ho is saddened as well.
“I put in all this effort and time and it didn’t work out. It’s hard to develop the trust by your customers. The rule of thumb: do what is right, feel good about it and you can sleep at night.”
