A New Vexation

[Willa]

Yesterday I noticed that the gas station had some guy up a ladder, doing something with one of the unused gigantic light posts from the former car lot, that were never removed during their renovation. He turned out to be an electrician, installing MORE lights.

I spoke to him, the current gas station manager came over, I did some shouting and pointing. I now have MORE light infiltration from these cheaply installed lights, that are not shielded or in any way directed.

The tire compressor - the one that is 6' from the property line - brightly lit with blazing LED can lights that glare into my yard - was recently broken into for the coin box. I don't know how the solution to this problem is to ADD MORE LIGHT. Then the gas station manager claimed that a CHILD had found an injection syringe in that corner and how terrible that was. I mean, that isn't good, at all, but no one at the gas station has ever expressed concern about how their neighbour's health was being affected by a huge amount of gasoline vapours regularly entering my property ?

Here's what my front yard looked like last summer. You get a sense of the extreme amount of light happening next door, but that my front yard was dark except for the ambient streetlight:

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As of last night it now looks like this:

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The new light brilliantly illuminates a section of the parking lot by the dumpster, where there is nothing to steal. Those hateful vent pipes are sure lit up though:

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What makes this ultra frustrating is that this city has NO light pollution bylaws. None !

People often naiively think that bright lighting makes an area safer. This is untrue. Bad bright lighting creates a dangerous glare for pedestrians and drivers, that lessens visibility. It makes it harder to see potential danger, like lurking bad guys. The bright lighting also makes it better for people shooting up, as they can more easily see their veins ! Studies have been done where thieves were interviewed who said they actually preferred brightly lit locations as it helped them to see what they were doing.

http://www.darkskysociety.org/handouts/LightingForSafetyAndSecurity.pdf

[Gothichome]

Willa,I feel for you. No one needs this kind of grief. Without a by-law I see no way of forcing the station to (at the least) shield the light. I wonder if there is a ‘good neighbour’ policy on the books that may have a resolution system in place?

[Willa]

I suppose my only recourse is contacting Esso, who owns Mobil in Canada. Previously Esso's reply to me was that as a "branded retailer" or "branded wholesaler" that the independent owner was entirely responsible for the design, etc. of the station. This was when I contacted them shortly after the station opened. There was no delineated parking marked, so when people parked nose in to the fence, their headlights shone into my dining room and kitchen windows.

Esso seemed to have contacted them very promptly reharding this(see previous fence atrocity posts,including irate twerp manager banging on my door). I now have quite a laundry list of issues with the execution of this station from garbage issues, to the terrible fence, noise and excessive lighting. This lack of corporate guidance is certainly a poor reflection on their corporate brand...

[phil]

if that vent pipe exhausts the gas fumes when they fill the tank , and they stuck a light on top of it. maybe that is a danger? It might depend what type of light they put but one would think it would need to be an explosion proof one. Perhaps it is, the LED ones dont get so hot. Maybe you can see if there is an electrical outlet up there. There may be some codes that regulate what can be in the vicinity of a gas fume exhaust pipe. for example if a broken bulb might cause an explosion. A lamp in a spray booth has specific requirements. That seems like a similar situation.

On a lighter note here is a pretty funny comedy that makes light of the situation of those night time gas bars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0SyfFRNUv0

[Willa]

Today's response from the City:

"Good afternoon. Thank you for your email.Unfortunately this is a private matter as there are no by-laws to address lighting issues in this circumstance. With respect to your concerns about protruding wires, please contact the Electrical Safety Authority at www.esasafe.com or 1-877-372-7233 "

XXXXXXXXX City of London employee

[Willa]

if that vent pipe exhausts the gas fumes when they fill the tank , and they stuck a light on top of it. maybe that is a danger? It might depend what type of light they put but one would think it would need to be an explosion proof one. Perhaps it is, the LED ones dont get so hot. Maybe you can see if there is an electrical outlet up there. There may be some codes that regulate what can be in the vicinity of a gas fume exhaust pipe. for example if a broken bulb might cause an explosion. A lamp in a spray booth has specific requirements. That seems like a similar situation.

On a lighter note here is a pretty funny comedy that makes light of the situation of those night time gas bars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0SyfFRNUv0

Dear Phil.

Please read my blog: https://blackpicketfence.org. The opening page has all the information you need to understand this.

I have made many posts here about how grim this situation is, including that my house is periodically filled with gasoline vapours from those very vent pipes, and my battles with the TSSA, Ministry of the Environment, etc. Benzene is an additive to all gasoline. It is a potent carcinogen, that has been documented for over 100 years as being linked to Acute Myeloid Leukemia, cardiovascular and neurological damage and other life threatening issues. Those vapours are volatile and potentially explosive in a contained area.

Since you find this topic to be potentially lighthearted, I hope that reading that since the gas station opened in July 2018, FIVE of my cats became acutely ill with various health issues they never experienced before. THREE of these cats became so ill with unusual issues that they had to be euthanized within a 10 month period. I hope considering the emotional and financial costs fills you with great mirth.

If I want to sell my house - I would have to disclose to any buyer that a situation out of my control (vent pipe location) is a grave deficit. Who would purchase property that is periodically flooded with a huge volume of gasoline vapours - even with all the doors and windows tightly closed ? When I purchased this property, it was next to an old fashioned used car lot - not a shoddy 24 hour gas station. I would have never purchased this house - or any house - next to a 24 hour gas station.

Perhaps you have the resources to hire a team of lawyers to battle a multinational petroleum company, the owner of this particular gas station, the TSSA, Ministry of the Environment and the City of London.

Anyhow, have great laugh !

[phil]

when you shop for a house it is often a decision about what you are willing to take. in my circumstance I looked at many in a quickly rising hot market. the prices were going up so fast that the first ones we looked at and used as benchmarks could not be met because while we were loooking the benchmarks moved.

I saw ones that were crooked, had foundation issues, some had basements that were flooded or had been flooded. One I liked was cool, had a great lot but half the house was sitting on wood blocks and the other half had water issues and was right on the property line. one was nice but 100 K too high and had 3 suites. I could see the payback of the suites but it seemed like a huge project as it was a huge house. one was a 4 plex , one suite had a garage. Great payback from the three rentals plus living space but that one was right beside the onramp to a busy bridge.

I finally settled on one that was straight. have very little done to it but it needed a lot of work to be considered livable. It was on a main street though.
At least I got a house. I had something to work towards and put effort and pride into. When I do sell I'll have to take the hit of it being on a main street and one that is comparable but a block back would be worth 100 K or so more do to the traffic noise and volume. all those cars make pollution too. maybe more electric cars will alleviate the pollution eventually?

It's a very similar situation for you. You chose to buy a house that was beside a gas station. you poured a lot of work and money into it. when you sell, the value will be devalued by the presence of the gas station. at least you fixed it up a lot and the market probably rose as well. Maybe it is a stepping stone and perhaps flipping it for one off in a residential area is possible now. It sounds like you regret your decision and perhaps blame others. From the gas station's outlook perhaps more light makes it safer or maybe the glaring lights draw more customers in because people dont question if it is open and it is pretty normal for a gas station to have a lot of lights.

a lot of the houses near me that are near gas stations have towering trees to allow separation. They already constructed a fence. I think it would be a good decision to buy some trees that would fill the space and maybe dont start with wee ones. You could start with 10' pyramid cedars if you were here but I'm not sure if they grow well there. I think James made some suggestions and he has a great deal more insight into that than I have. If fir trees grow well there maybe you could plant them with close spacing and allow them to fill in as they would grow higher.
I have a friend that likes to have a lot of outdoor parties and things. He constructed a building with just one wall facing his neighbor to give separation, and a shake roof. that was a quick solution to create separation from his neighbor.

you didn't see humor in the video , I'm not in control of whether you thought it was humorous. it was quite on point and maybe you need to just try to lighten up. None of us are here with an objective of creating tension. It's a bit sad that you see a lot of things that way. If you are feeling depressed then perhaps the issue is not one to make fun of and I'm sorry if it felt like I was making fun of you or in whatever negative light you received it in.

lots here suffer from SAD, its common because we get so much rain in winter. at this time of year things change a bit sooner so there are buds on the trees. we just changed the clock and there is more time to be outside and do things after work. I love this time of year because we have the whole summer to look forward to. I think part of it is just getting the time outdoors and using my muscles a bit after being somewhat dormant in winter. At least you seem to get some feelings of accomplishment and that can help lift spirits. even if the video wasnt' funny there are other sources of humor. perhaps you can find some that you think are funny. Sometimes clubs and organizations can help people get out and socialize. some need to see their doctor and believe in or need medications. It's very common for people to suffer and not feel they need help. I think if I made other suggestions they could be construed as being hurtful. It's not fun to hear about the negativity on a constant basis. If you need help there are much better sources for that sort of help than I could even hope to offer. Perhaps if people chime in and feel more sorry for the situation of the gas station lights it could be helpful to make you feel better? one thing I am a firm believer of is that people need to laugh out loud. that doesn't include typing to a forum. when people spend toime alone they really dont laugh in the same way that they do when with others around. The TV wont make me really laugh out loud usually, nor will anything I read. really to have a good belly laugh I need another person involved. some are loners and dont choose to agree with that but I think having someone else to help make you laugh is essential. Its not essential that you live with them but we need this sort of interaction to be fulfilled. some do that through religion , churches , some get involved in community some go to the bar. .I think we all need that and if we dont get it we suffer internally and those are hurtful feelings that dont show on the surface. If we hold them in they turn into depression. That's my theory, maybe not everyone else's but I feel it's really true for most people. Real belly laughs are essential for happiness.

putting yourself in a legal situation against the oil company , or the city or the owner of the gas bar doesn't sound very therapeutic. You dont like the gas station next door and it isnt' going away. perhaps there is a creative way to get on the good side of the owner, after all he is your neighbor and like family , you cant' choose neighbors easily.

I had some ongoing but not super serious BS with my neighbor. Yesterday I saw their cat had a weepy eye, an eye infection. My cat had the same a while back and I saved the medication in the fridge. I took it over and talked to them and gave them the meds I had leftover in the fridge. I shared my info about the vet I used as they were so helpful and reasonable. It was a small act but it helped break any tension and I just couldn't stand seeing the cat with an issue that I could help with. the cat next door is a male and it is so nice and calm so I like it being friends with our cats. I dont want ours running with the ones that have a big travel area as staying close is so important with the busy streets. some learn , some cross streets and get hit. depriving them of the outside world doesn't seem fair but we have a situation where one was used to being an inside act and the other was used to going out so they have different privileges. Having two is a challenge , I cant' imagine Five ! wow that must be a lot of work, but they do give love. one thing I do for my own mentality is to take time out with them to pet them. when I get home my cat races to the sidewalk for a good 5 minute petting as she sprawls out on the sidewalk in the sun, as soon as I open the door she races to the sidewalk for our ritual. She thinks it's for her I tell her I work in a cat food factory. Sometimes we have more serious discussions and she really helps me.. sound weird? maybe, but if it helps why not? I'm still not able to make her laugh either but Ill keep trying
Phil

[GinaC]

Phil, Willa has said that when she bought the house, next door was a car lot, not a gas station.

Willa, I think planting trees is a good idea. I'm the second house in from a main road, and I have a row of cedars blocking it for me.

[Gothichome]

Yes, when Willa bought she bought a very nice un molested home with original details on a small side street, and yes it was beside a used car lot not a gas station. I find it sad that things have turned out this way for Willa. It kind of takes the enthusiasm out of restoration and the efforts and costs Willa has absorbed to make the home nice for herself, it may be for not due to the gas station fiasco.
Wills, sorry to hear the city has let you down once again. The only option I can see now is to talk to your neighbours (I know some of them are renters) join an urban preservation group and get radical, get the press involved ect. It is obvious the city has no interest in taking up the fight on your behalf. Either that or install your own gas fired night light rite beside their vent pipe, but common sense tells be that is not a good idea.

[Nicholas]

Willa, I feel for you and such a charming house. I have read up on your fence issues in the past, and I say go with the evergreens as your next step as far as home improvement goes at the least.

I am not sure of any service stations around here having vent pipes (I am sure they do) and where they are located. But this is USA, and Florida, and there are much stricter laws about where a gas station can and should be, as well as protecting the environment. This town does have a couple of neighborhood vintage gas stations, long closed, very charming. One has a home attached to it, the other is a flower shop and produce stand.

In Philly I remember seeing these types of stations at the ends of row homes in my neighborhood, long gone, especially after the MOVE encounter, very dangerous.

As far as due diligence goes, I have always stayed away from busy streets, commercial areas. I looked at a charming house online on one acre, the copper was stripped out of the walls by vandals. Then I did a street view and saw it was next to a gas station. Nix!

I panicked after finding out the empty lot next door was owned by the church in back, with the thought of a parking lot access and cars going past my house all day Sunday. But this neighborhood fought against it, and the city carved out the wetlands and wildlife refuge instead, which the church owns. Now there is a brand new house next door.

So once again, I am sorry, Lots of evergreens and trees, get a couple that overeach the property so that cars that park there get sap, birdcrap, and that the station is constantly cleaning up your leaves.