SF gas stations dwindle in real estate boom

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/City-gas-stations-dwindle-in-real-estate-boom-5802981.php

San Francisco’s neighborhood gas stations used to service cars, but now they are fueling the city’s housing boom.

One by one, from the Rincon Hill 76 by the entrance to the Bay Bridge to the busy Tower Car Wash and fuel station where South Van Ness merges with Mission Street, housing developers are pouncing on any chance to replace gas pumps with penthouses. Since the economic recovery started in 2010, housing developers have initiated projects that would replace 23 gas stations across the city, including five on four blocks of Upper Market Street, four on Valencia Street, two on Sixth Street and two on South Van Ness....

So far the trend is not causing much hand-wringing. Gas stations, with their fumes, traffic and curb cuts, are rarely beloved neighborhood institutions. Underground gas tanks are notorious for contaminating soil, although they are much cleaner than they used to be. In the new urbanist world of separated bike lanes and transit-oriented development, the lowly seller of gasoline is persona non grata.

“Replacing gas stations with housing and retail makes sense,” said Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents Upper Market Street. “For many years we had too many gas stations, for sure. In the Castro we had four. They were taking up a lot of land.”

[TeamPooka]

1. Just figure out how many gas stations and where the 1% will need them, then get rid of the rest. nt

[mackerel]

2. I will have to be sure to fuel up before I go into The City. I used to use

the South Market one just before the Fwy entrance but I noticed the last time I was in town it was gone.

[KamaAina]

3. It's cheaper outside the 49-square-mile kingdom, anyway

and that difference is likely to increase as this trend continues.

[mackerel]

4. Very true but sometimes I forget and just forge ahead.

When I was at SFSU we used to have to drive over to Westlake to fill-up.

[Brother Buzz]

5. I commuted to SF for years, and even lived in the Sunset for two years and....

have no memory of ever buying gasoline in the city. None. It was simply routine to fill the tank before entering the City.

[mackerel]

6. not even when u lived in the sunset?

[mackerel]

7. there used to be a gas station at Sloat and 19th but that may also be gone

[Brother Buzz]

8. Nope

One could drive around the puny city a lot with a full tank (I believe I often used more gas looking for a parking spot then actually driving across town), plus my work sent me all around the Bay Area; I always topped off before returning to the City.