Life's no gas for some Dollard residents

"We don't have any written agreement whatsoever," said Hadley Street resident Dan Capatina, an engineer, who led the charge in presenting he and his neighbours' case to city hall.

A residential street, Hadley runs parallel to Sources Boulevard, with Churchill Street linking the two at a right angle. Capatina's home backyard is right behind the construction site on Sources, where an Ultramar is currently undergoing expansion in order to have more gas pumps and a larger car wash.

"It was three months ago,"Capatina told The Chronicle, that a neighbour of his first found out about the expansion project. Since then, he and some of others met with the mayor in order to see if a compromise solution could not be figured out.

"It was agreed to build a fence," Capatina said, but the type of fence was not specified by Dollard des Ormeaux. In a petition and a letter deposited to the mayor, Capatina and neighbours specifically asked for a solid brick wall, and be "soundproof and fireproof."

However, an e-mail by the mayor's office in response promised nothing more than Ultramar agreeing to "plant twelve trees along the back, along with a 6-foot fence."

When reached for comment, Janiszewski said Ultramar's expansion would actually be good for the neighbourhood and environmentally friendlier than its older set-up, since the new pumps mean there are less cars idling by as they wait their turn in the gas station. "It's going to be actually a total improvement," Janiszewski said, adding the new pumps will also offer the option of paying via credit card, thus also cutting down on the amount of people going inside to pay at the cash registry.

However, Jason Flam, an entrepreneur who lives on Hadley as well, was having none of it. "Everybody's entitled to their own opinion," Flam said, but he suspects more gas pumps will simply mean more cars.

Flam said he was annoyed none of the immediately concerned residences with their backs to the construction sites were given notification by Dollard des Ormeaux or Ultramar that an expansion project would be taking place behind their homes.

"This could all be rectified if we all work together," Flam said. "What's the harm in putting up a barrier?" He asked.

The group is also worried about the carwash potentially being open 24 hours, which would create even more noise. In the letter sent to town hall, they insisted the carwash' hours of operation be limited from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but this has not been acknowledged by city hall.

"I don't know how many people wash their cars at 2:30 in the morning," Janiszewski said in response, adding it should not really be a concern.

"We're having many things done to assure (these residents) their quality of life," Janiszewski told The Chronicle.

Some residents who live on Hadley but a little further away from the construction site said they were concerned for their neighbours, but not necessarily affected directly. "I'm worried about the noise problem," said one resident who declined to be named, but she also praised the permanent lighting generated by the gas station, which she said made the entrance to their neighbourhood safer in the dark. "In a way, it's an advantage also, you know, to the neighbourhood," she said.

Ultramar's public relations office did not return requests for comment as of press time.