| | Published March 14th, 2012
| Noise, Fountain and Colors Adjusted for Gas Station
| | By Sophie Braccini | | |
The Design Review Board (DRB) recently approved the concept for the gas station Nick Ghassem purchased last year and will renovate on Moraga Road, next to 5A-Rent-A-Space. His ambition is to make the place not only practical and cost effective, but also visually attractive for his customers with front landscaping featuring a water fountain. The DRB made sure that the concept meets the Town's requirements for development along a scenic corridor.
On February 6, the Planning Commission approved the project that consists of remodeling the existing structure to accommodate an expanded convenience store, oil change bay, and automated drive-through carwash. As proposed, the new carwash will be made of white concrete blocks, and the entire structure would be painted white. Polycarbonate carwash doors will be installed at the south bay to attenuate noise, matching the existing service bay doors. An outdoor freestanding vacuum air station was proposed near the south property line, in front of the car wash.
"The building is still in good shape and we just want to bring it back to life," said Patrick Whelan, the project's architect, of a station that was foreclosed about a year ago. "We chose the white color to match the existing building and to keep it neutral since the owner has not decided yet with which brand of gas he will contract for."
The color white, even if it had been the existing color of the station, did not appeal to the DRB Members. "A more neutral color would not be as contrasting with the surrounding hillside" said DRB member Christine Kuckuk. Others who were not fan of the concrete blocks agreed with her that beige would minimize the visual impact.
The proposal for a fountain raised concerns as well. "I will not make any money with it," said Ghassem, "it's going to make the town very pretty." But Kuckuk said she believed that the fountain was out of the semi-rural character of the town, while during public comment resident staff engineer John Sherbert expressed concerns over adding a fountain when Moraga might be confronted with drought. "I like the fountain," said DRB Chair Allan Sayles, "and during drought years, it can be filled with dirt and planted with flowers." A majority of the Board approved that position.
A concern about noise was raised by resident Mark Weinberg who lives close to the station. "What are the hours of operation?" he asked, "noise reverberates in the Rheem Valley, and I can hear the crowd at Campo (Campolindo High school) when they play at night."
Planning Director Shawna Brekke-Read said that the Planning Commission set the hours of operation of the carwash to 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days of week, while the pumping station would be opened from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Kuckuk, who had additional concerns regarding the noise impact of the vacuum station that completes the car wash, asked that it be moved where it would create the least off-site noise. Her recommendation was added to the conditions of approval by the DRB, with the additional requirement that existing pine trees be replaced should they die.
Ghassem still has to get the construction bid out and complete the renovation of the station; he plans for a late June opening. "I already own a station in Walnut Creek," said Ghassem, "we were voted the cleanest and best service station in California; I intend to do the same in Moraga."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA