A concerned North Buffalo business owner has reached out to Buffalo Rising to express the need for change at a Sunoco gas station site located at the corner of Colvin and Hertel. The concern that has arisen stems from a typical prevailing and outdated attitude that gas stations located in urban commercial districts don’t have to look appealing and fit into the fabric of the street, as long as they do their job and service the cars that pull up for gas and products sold at the convenience stores (an A-Plus in this case).
The business owner who contacted BRO felt that it was time to rethink the way that we allow gas stations to simply exist without any (or many) beautification and safety measures. “The Sunoco at the corner of Hertel and Colvin is going through major renovations,” he stated. “They had zero green space for the entire parcel for a decade. City Hall’s planning office said they have been around before 1997 rules… and said that if they expand they will have to follow the guidelines. But what are those guidelines and who is going to make them accountable? The time is over when we just sit back and wait, and then realize that once again nothing happened. It’s an ugly corner that is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists. It is fenced in now and under construction. A couple of trees does not cut it anymore. We need curbs to protect citizens and green space for the neighborhood. Is that too much to ask?”
I would like to think that the rest of the neighborhood would have been consulted on potential improvements that could be made at this corner, since an overhaul of the property is clearly underway. The time is now to ensure that adequate quality of life standards are met for the residents of North Buffalo and visitors to Hertel Avenue, so that the next decade doesn’t slip by with the same sort of low standards that were set when outdated codes required little to no aesthetic appeal or safety concerns for the public.