Gas station, new fire truck approved by San Juan Bautista council

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A development agreement for the long-delayed Alameda Gas Station Project was approved by the San Juan Bautista City Council at its regular meeting on Dec. 16.

The council also adopted a resolution authorizing the city manager to initiate the purchase of a new Rosenbauer fire engine. 

A vote on who will become the next mayor of the town, however, was postponed until January at the suggestion of E. J. Sabathia, because the current mayor, Leslie Jordan, was attending on Zoom rather than in person.

First proposed in 2014, the gas station plan was delayed by a series of legal challenges from Frank Leal, owner of the Hacienda de Leal hotel on the adjoining property, and by the San Juan Bautista Planning Commission’s rejection of several design concepts.

The commission approved the right-hand turn lane from eastbound Hwy 156 at its May 7 meeting and gave conditional approval to the project at its Dec. 2 meeting, subject to final discussions on details such as the cost-sharing for the lane.

The final project will feature seven pump stations, eight EV charging stations, a 3,775-square-foot convenience store, and a 1,978-square-foot lease space. The approximately $830,000 cost of the turn lane, up from the original 2015 estimate of $400,000, would be split between the developers, Harman Bhullar and Deval Dalla, and the city.

Bhullar and Dalla would pay the entire initial cost, and the city is committed to making $20,000 annual payments toward its share through 2042. 

City Manager Ashley Collick said the funds could come from traffic impact fees, sales taxes generated by the station, or the town’s transient occupancy tax. She said that there could also be recourse to state funds or a future grant. 

Several recommendations put forward by the Planning Commission, intended to be part of the final plan presented to the City Council, were not included. One was for increased lighting at the crossing from the Windmill complex to the gas station, but this was sidelined after a staff analysis determined that it was either unnecessary or prohibited because it fell under Caltrans’ jurisdiction, rather than the city’s. 

Another was for increased space at the station for a visitor’s center, rather than the single shelf for brochures offered by the developers. Initially refusing to consider a larger presence for the city, Dalla said he would be willing to consider a larger 4-foot-by-8-foot area for promotional materials. 

It was a rare concession, as Dalla had previously been unwilling to renegotiate anything beyond what was necessary under previous agreements. However, with the vote on the agreement due that evening, he struck a positive note by praising the final work on the project.

Saying that he and his partner wanted to be part of the community, and not just business owners who are running “a trashy gas station,” he said he was thankful for the help he got in finalizing the project.

Fire engine

Following the plan’s approval, Hollister Fire Chief Jonathan Goulding gave a presentation on the options for purchasing a new fire engine to replace the current one, a 2005 Pierce Contender.

The engine is the city’s primary responding unit, Goulding said it has exceeded its useful life by about five years, according to National Fire Protection Association standards, and has experienced a 25% downtime over the last two years. 

He added that repairs to the engine were becoming increasingly difficult because of the cost of proprietary parts and that it was showing signs of reduced reliability. He said that the cost of new engines has steadily increased by 10% a year, more than doubling in price since 2018.

Goulding recommended purchasing a Rosenbauer Type 1 engine, identical to the one that the city of Hollister has ordered. As specified by the department, each engine would cost $1,128,133 if purchased before Dec. 31, but with a multi-engine purchase discount, prepayment of the chassis, and a customer loyalty discount, the cost would be $1,087,459. 

The fire chief also presented options for purchasing used engines, ranging in price from a 2010 Pierce Impel Pumper at $395,000 to a 2006 HME Pumper at $649,000, but warned against them, noting that they were as much past their useful life as the city’s current engine.

While the city agreed to move forward with the order, delivery will take anywhere from two-and-a-half to four years.

Earlier in the meeting, the council voted to move forward with two resolutions concerning ongoing projects: one authorizing Collick to file for financial assistance with the State Water Resources Control Board for the fresh water project, which will connect to the West Hills Treatment Plant; and the other authorizing Stantec Consulting Services for $135,000 to cover services for the sewer project to connect to the Hollister Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The council also authorized two proclamations, one honoring the Cornaggia Family on the 63rd anniversary of Golden Wheel Antiques and the other to Sarah Griss as Philanthropist of the Year for the “meaningful impact of her volunteerism and charitable efforts.”

San Juan Bautista City Council agendas and meeting videos are available on the city’s website.

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