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Gas stations to living spaces
- Thread starter Kevin54
- Start date
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
If anyone is thinking about something like this, the first step is to find out if the underground tanks have been removed. This can be $$,$$$ !
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
removing the tanks can be very expensive.
Musicinabottle
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2016
- Messages
- 3,371
That's cool. We had a store / gas pump out here where I live that had been here since the mid 1970s, with dirt road frontage and over the years they went out of business, after a new store with no gas pump went in down the street. Old store was converted to a house. The people said that they had people walking in to their house all the time for months!
rburke65
Well-known member
I'm sure the EPA has been over this piece of property 'nine times to Tuesday' since th station closed and put up for sale.
John15511
Member
I always loved these conversions. I know the tank issues are always a big concern but I'm sure there's some small towns that look the other way and are just happy something's being done to the property. I would love to live in either one of these remodels.
rburke65
Well-known member
Ya I'm sure the local governments, realtors, property attorneys, EPA, local water and sewer agencies are all just dying to sign off if that gas station property and move it along. Maybe for starters, but no one wants to get caught with this in their back pocket in today's world.
We bought an old gas station (Gulf) back in the 90's with a bit of help from a attorney that specializes in this kind of stuff we got the property cleaned up for not many $$ out of pocket, there are federal and state funds to pay for the clean-up available, We rented it out for a few years before selling it to a developer.
I would have to go back and look at my notes to be sure but IIRC we removed about 6000 yds of contaminated soil.
I would have to go back and look at my notes to be sure but IIRC we removed about 6000 yds of contaminated soil.
tacostand
Well-known member
I always loved these conversions. I know the tank issues are always a big concern but I'm sure there's some small towns that look the other way and are just happy something's being done to the property. I would love to live in either one of these remodels.
With USTs (underground storage tanks) the issue isn't so much permitting- will my town allow me to use it- as it is liability. Furthermore, it's the feds rather than local regulators who look into it.
If there are USTs on site, or if there may have been tanks there in the past, it's incumbent on a prospective buyer to perform due diligence.
Due diligence in this case starts with an EPA Phase I environmental assessment.
Soil samples and testing will determine the nature of the issue/non-issue. In the presence of tanks, you may be able to remove them and that might be all there is to it. You may be able to encapsulate them and have them remain in place. Whether there are tanks or not, there may be soil remediation issues that must be addressed. This can get expensive if you have to dig up contaminated soil, dispose of it per EPA standards, and replace it with clean fill.
Failure to perform due diligence may be costly.
E.g. Fred owns a station which pollutes the soil/ground water. Fred sells the property to Bob. Fred has a gambling problem and goes broke. Later testing determines the property is in violation.
Future owners and/or the EPA can go after Bob- especially if the lawyers determine Bob has $. Even though Bob did not cause the problem, he bought the contaminated property and therefore assumed liability for its condition.
*None of this is offered as a legal opinion, nor does it constitute one.*
I certainly don't want to discourage anyone, either.
Gas station properties are very cool- just look at the 2 linked earlier in the thread.
I just wanted to add a little bit to the discussion in terms of some of the specifics I've learned about along the way.