This place at 1655 Queen Ave. SW has not been a gas station for years.
What we need, in addition to a lot of other things, is a rule that says when a business closes it has to take down its signs.
There’s an old gas station on Southwest Queen Avenue that hasn’t sold gas for something like 20 years. Yet the sign on the corner of Queen and Broadway Street still says “Chevron” with the familiar blue and red design.
You’d think that the Chevron company would have some way to keep its trademark symbol from being bandied about in this way. And what if you’re a stranger driving into town on fumes and, seeing that sign from afar, think you’ve just made it before running out of gas?
The property at 1645/1655 Queen, owned by someone in Happy Valley, also houses a convenience store. The old station itself has been vacant for a while and, according to the sign in the window, is for rent.
Not far from this address, at the corner of Pacific and Washington, a gas station closed in January. That’s less than five months ago, and already the big Mobil sign on the highway has been whited out.
You can still make out that it says Mobil, but not from down the road. That station property is owned by “Truax Oil Co. Wallace” in Corvallis. At least that’s where the annual tax bill goes.
It was a handy station to have around because its fuel was a few cents less than at nearby outlets. Back in February I tried to find out why it closed but I struck out.
But, when they closed, these owners got rid of the old signs so that no one would pull in looking for gas. So we don’t actually need a rule. We just need common sense. (hh)
The former Mobil gas station at 505 Pacific Blvd. SW has been closed since January and has tried to obliterate its brand signage.
Common sense is not letti g your tank get below a quarter.
The Truax Station was a family favorite. It has special memories for me because I had just turned 16 in 1973 when the gas crisis hit us and we went to rationed gasoline with the ability to purchase every other day, odd or even (based on your home address, I believe). I was assigned the task of waiting in line for 2 hours to get gas for the family car, which we also used to make deliveries from my father’s store on 1st and Ellsworth. Sorry to see the old gas stations closed.
It was based on your license plate.
They can look at your license plate a lot easier then your house number (water usage).
Handy to have an “odd day” extra car that you don’t use much. Siphon a few gallons from it when needed.
There’s also the abandoned “coffee” sign on the block up from that empty Chevron station, at an empty lot. This is detritus, eyesores in our town. Just like you’re not allowed to have a property overgrown with weeds or garbage piled on your front lawn, property owners should have to take down these abandoned signs.
If somebody owns a property, who are you to tell them what sign is on it?
The City owns a lot of property with poor weed control.
Once a sign us taken down on alot of right aways you loose legal standing or need a permit to re establish.