Fauntleroy/Alaska ex-76 station just got something new: A fence

| Triangle | West Seattle news

The fate of the ex-76 station at Fauntleroy/Alaska has entered a new phase: A fence went up this afternoon, with a “No Trespassing” sign and a note directing anyone interested to contact a California company for information. You might recall that the station was being converted from a 76 station to an Arco station about a year ago, and then abruptly shut down. Back in August, after notes from neighbors upset that the site was continually being trashed in ways big and small, we reported that it had been cleaned up – and that its owner told WSB he didn’t expect to reopen it, and thought it would soon be “taken over by a bank.” (Here’s that story.) We can’t find any evidence of that in public records, but we have a message out to the company whose number is on the sign on the new fence. This gas-station site, incidentally, is part of what the City Council just rezoned to 85-foot-maximum-height development (20 feet higher than before).

Meantime, you might have noticed the land-use sign up on the kitty-corner Shell station; it was briefly up for sale last year, but is now in the process of getting approvals for underground tank replacement.

geek January 10, 2012 (3:38 pm)

Those look like fresh utility locate marks…maybe there’s a cleanup/site remediation in the works.

WSB January 10, 2012 (3:41 pm)

In comments following one of our previous reports, someone found the site on the “leaking underground storage tank” list – but it had been there, apparently, for many years. The DPD records for the site do not show any permit applications since the possible ARCO conversion last year … TR

A January 10, 2012 (5:24 pm)

How could a bank take over that corner? Wouldn’t it take years to have the soil tested and cleaned?
At least that has always been the case in gas station land in the past. 35th and Avalon was at one time a gas station and it was years before they could build.

WSB January 10, 2012 (6:05 pm)

In terms of “bank takeover” I don’t believe they meant “open a bank” but rather, go into foreclosure/receivership. The company whose number is on the fence specializes in that among other things, according to its website (linked in the story), so that may fit the scenario. But there is nothing online hinting at any official transaction along those lines – documentation sometimes lags for months .. TR

a January 10, 2012 (6:13 pm)

oh, now that makes sense. Sorry

Amy January 10, 2012 (6:32 pm)

Thanks for the info, WSB! I was about to email you about it.

WSB January 10, 2012 (6:43 pm)

Thank you! We always appreciate hearing those tips. Sometimes we get lucky and just happen to be in the area when something happens – this was one of those times; Patrick was driving by and spotted the fencing company leaving! – TR

Susan January 10, 2012 (8:19 pm)

It seems all they did was put up the fence today, trapping in all of the fresh trash since the clean-up a few months ago. It’s a mess again. Those must be some leaky storage tanks, because it is an excellent location for a gas station. It had twice the traffic of the Shell station despite having higher prices, just because it was more convenient.

Mack January 10, 2012 (8:22 pm)

I hope that site gets turned into a QFC fuel station. I have all these QFC fuel credits but nowhere close to buy gas.
I’ll also settle for a Texaco station.

miws January 10, 2012 (8:29 pm)

Maybe they’ll demolish the station, dig up the tanks, and leave a big hole there!

Mike

redblack January 10, 2012 (8:37 pm)

susan: gas stations/convenience stores are a losing proposition for franchisees, unless the station is outright owned by the parent oil company, which is rare these days. there’s a good reason why many of the owner/operators and their family members often work at those stations: cheap(er) labor costs versus the high cost to distributors for everything from gasoline itself to potato chips to cigarettes to red bulls. for example, when they fill the underground tanks, the operators pay almost as much per gallon of gas as consumers do at the pump. there’s barely any profit in it for them.
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my guess is that the operators of the shell franchise are suffering, as well.
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a strange and sad phenomenon in a country that’s so dependent on gasoline.