The Valero Gas Station at the intersection of San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Sycamore Valley Road, which has been under construction for the past month, will reopen in February, weather permitting.
Construction on the site began after the Town of Danville approved Valero’s proposal to convert the gas station’s auto repair garage into a convenience store and an automated drive-through carwash.
Under the proposal, the building is being expanded by 660 square feet. The newly constructed convenience store will be 1,775 square feet, and the car wash will be 1,300 square feet. The entire exterior will be improved architecturally with the addition of new windows, paint and overhangs to protect the fuel pumps.
The town’s Design Review Board made several changes to the original plan. The board wanted warmer colors to be used on the building, a darker roof, and the use of brick, among other things.
“The Design Review Board wanted the existing building to be enhanced externally to be brought up to more Danville design standards,” said David Crompton, principal planner for Danville.
A set of guidelines was developed for the contractors to follow during construction, including restricting activity to 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. In an effort to reduce noise to residences, combustion engines were required to have mufflers, and noise-generating equipment is used minimally. Danville also mandated that the contractors install a security fence around the premises.
Initially, nearby merchants raised concerns over the construction. Owners of the Sycamore Square Shopping Center and the Danville Livery & Mercantile expressed strong opposition to the gas station’s expansion.
“These uses will add to the transient nature of the traffic into the intersection and be of no value to the local residents,” wrote William A. Tribolet, an agent for the storeowners, in a letter to Crompton. The letter was sent in November 2001.
“While the town takes into consideration their concerns, we felt that the proposal met the town’s requirements,” said Crompton.
The Planning Commissioners conducted a study to determine the potential traffic impacts of the gas station’s expansion and concluded that the project would lead to approximately 14 additional vehicle trips during morning peak hours and two during the evening peak hours.
The cause of traffic concerns came from the proximity of the southern driveway to the intersection of San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Sycamore Valley Road. Transportation Services alleviated the problem by suggesting the establishment of a one-way exit on the gas station’s southern driveway.
Another issue was the acoustical impact the carwash would have on surrounding stores, particularly the Kindercare daycare facility located behind it. The Planning Commission asked for a noise study, which concluded that the carwash would not have a significant negative impact. The noise generated would be the same as a vehicle traveling 65 miles per hour and was deemed “normally acceptable” for playground type areas by California state law. In addition, the drying cycle is intermittent, plus it affects a seldom used portion of the play area.
According to Ryko Car Wash Systems, supplier of the carwash equipment, approximately 20 to 30 vehicles would use the premium-service drying cycle during a weekday.
