The Editor,
Why are there so many abandoned gas stations in Richmond?
Some, such as the lot at Westminster Highway and No. 4 Road are recently vacated. Some have been empty for longer as in the locations at No. 3 Road and Granville or No. 3 Road and Francis. The old Kern Chevron site at No. 3 Road and Steveston Highway has been vacant for at least 30 years!
This cant be because the real estate has no value. If the sites are polluted and the oil companies do not want to pay to clean them up, the city should take action. In any case, the public deserves to know why these properties are vacant and if they pose a risk to the environment at large and to the neighbourhoods in particular.
Reinhard Pekarek
Richmond
