PIEDMONT — Plans are unclear for the former Valero station on Highland Avenue, but its former operator, Simon Ho, is doing well in his new Oakland location.
“I’m doing a lot better than what I expected — so far so good,” said Ho, who opened his new repair shop business on May 15 in the Dimond district at 1499 MacArthur Blvd. in Oakland. “The majority of my customers right now are from Piedmont. They are very supportive, they look after me. I’m really grateful for what I have.”
Ho’s loyal customers at the Piedmont Valero were dismayed when they learned he was leaving at the end of April due to a rise in rent from $7,000 to $17,000 per month. Ho tried to negotiate with station owner Tarvinder Bains, but he said the owner didn’t budge. Now the site sits empty but unfenced with an uncertain future.
Planning Director Kevin Jackson said this week that he’s had conversations with a few developers who were interested in the site. It is in Zone D, which permits mixed retail use, day care, religious assembly and multifamily residential uses.
“Whatever plans (are presented) would be subject to a conditional use permit and design review at the very least,” Jackson said, adding there could be deed restrictions on the property.
“The site would have to be delivered clean. In the short term the tanks need to be sealed up with vapor containment.”
If the site sat for years and years, the blight would have to be dealt with. If its use changes from a service station, underground gas tanks would have to be removed through a county permit, he said. The new condo development on Linda Avenue took years to complete, as it was housed on the old PG&E substation site that was subject to toxic cleanup requirements and other delays.
Ho said Bains, the former Valero site’s owner, asked him if he would like to operate a repair shop at the Piedmont station, but he declined. Bains could not be reached to comment.
Ho bought the site of his new repair shop and had invested $100,000 to renovate it and buy equipment. He’s a one-man show, working six days a week and closed on Sundays with his wife assisting him in making appointments for customers.
“I need that day off,” Ho said.
Anyone who wants to wish Ho well in his new endeavor can call the new shop at 510-530-4222 or 510-655-9631. The two numbers listed for Bains in Dublin were disconnected, and the owner did not return calls for comment in April.
