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Residents Wonder What'll Happen With Elm Street Shell Station
By Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
01:03AM / Monday, May 08, 2017
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Neighbors are wondering when the replacement of the fuel tanks will be finished.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City residents are wondering what the new owners plan to do with the former Shell Station on Elm Street.
 
O'Connell's sold the gas station at auction early last year and the new owners, S&F Investments LLC, closed the business, immediately firing the employees. Then Bob's Elm Street Service vacated the property, finding a new home on Cove Street. The station hasn't been open since last July.
 
Since then the property owners have submitted an application to open Elm Street Auto Clinic, a convenience store, gas station, and service center, and has received permits to replace the gas tanks and the canopy. 
 
But they withdrew the request for a convenience store and work has seemingly halted on replacing the gas tanks, leaving them exposed in a hole in the ground.
 
"The owner of the gas station had gone to the Zoning Board and received a variance to allow the construction of a new canopy and there was also a request for a variance to allow convenience store in a portion of the building not used for the garage, which they did withdraw at that time," said permitting coordinator Nate Joyner. 
 
"Their attorney was going to re-evaluate that and decide how to proceed. They have recently been issued a building permit for the canopy and I expect they will begin construction on that soon."
 
The company has received permits for the new storage tanks and canopy but the full plans and timeline for operations are not yet known. iBerkshires was unable to contact owner Fadi Qumbargi and his attorney Thomas Hamel refused to provide any updates when reached on Friday.
 
The gas station has existed there for more than 70 years. The company says when it bought it, the underground storage tanks were leaking and in disrepair.
 
"The current owner has and continues to commit significant resources to modernize the service station and replace the underground storage tanks with state of the art fiberglass double wall storage tanks with leak detection capability," reads the application submitted to the city.
 
"The existing canopy was setback from the property line 12 feet and not designed to the current standards. Improvements to the station include new self-service capable dispensers and new safety provisions. A new canopy is planned."
 
Ward 3 City Councilor Nicholas Caccamo said the neighborhood had no concern with the canopy replacement and he, too, expects work to start on that soon. 
 
The convenience store aspect of it was expected to include 400 square feet of retail "including milk, eggs, coffee, cookies, cakes, snacks, candy, juices, soft drinks, water, seasonal beer, local produce and meat among others." 
 
While the gas station had previously operated, it did not have retail sales. Retail sales and service are actually prohibited on the property, and the former station operated there because it was prior to the adoption of the zoning laws. The company would need a special permit for a convenience store and when first proposed, neighbors had concerns.
 
At the hearing, Ontario Street resident Dave Miraglia, Ron Ronan, and Dave Pill all voiced concern about traffic congestion, particularly from vehicles entering from Reuter Avenue.
 
"The concerns for the neighborhood about the convenience store is the potential for increased traffic on to Reuter Avenue and the likelihood for trash to build up from customers. Since they will be selling products that expire, it means rotten products will be thrown into a Dumpster and the abuttors will have to deal with the wildlife and smell," Caccamo said. 
 
There are still concerns with the tanks exposed.
 
"When the tanks were replaced the trench permit was granted for a six-month period, which is ending soon. The pit has been open since then," Caccamo wrote. 
 
"Unfortunately for the people in the area, having the fence around the open pit keeps the trench permit in compliance. The applicant is not required to fill it in as of now."
 
The current state of the tank replacement has raised concerns with Public Safety Advisory Committee member Donald Bercury as well.
 
"My concern is they have the open hole where the new tanks went in but they never covered it. If some kids got in, they could fall in," he said. 
 
Bercury has been researching the project himself. The permit had been issued for the trench work in December — and in March the Fire Inspectors Office issued a permit for a 24,000-gallon storage tank replacement — but it is unclear exactly when the company planned to fill in the hole, or what else is needed to be done. 
 
The company received the approval for the canopy replacement in February and that is when it pulled the request for a convenience store. Since then, city officials have heard little as far as updates go for the company's future plans.
 
"There are a number of people looking to know about the project at this time," Caccamo said.
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