Dale’s BP seeks business makeover, City Code Enforcement denies project.
Athens City Code Enforcement may have stonewalled one Uptown establishment’s bid for a drastic makeover.
The longtime owner of Dale’s BP, 50 N. Court St., has said he wanted to overhaul his business by having an apartment complex with a convenience store on the ground level where his gas station currently sits.
But Athens city code director John Paszke denied his request on Thursday, citing concerns about parking requirements for the proposed residential site.
Paszke explained that the project had been denied due to the site not having enough parking for each tenant in the proposed apartment complex. When reached by The Post on Friday, Kevin Goldsberry, owner of Dale’s BP, was unaware his bid was denied.
The family business has been operating Uptown since moving to its popular spot at the corner of Court Street and State Street in 1968, Goldsberry said, first as a Standard Oil of Ohio, or Sohio, station and then as a BP gas station. This year, their 15-year contract with BP expired, he said, providing an opportunity for a business change.
The proposal is a sign of the times, Goldsberry said, and of Court Street’s ever-changing appearance.
Goldsberry said he “wanted to transform the corner to fit with the area,” because as he put it, “you don’t find gas stations in downtown areas anymore.”
Freshman Joanna Sokol said she agrees with Goldsberry’s assessment.
“I think it’s a great idea because it gives people more options to live in town and close to campus,” Sokol said.
Paske said that the project may not be completely scrapped, as Goldsberry could opt to lobby the city with a longshot petition that would change the zoning code onsite.
Dale’s BP is in a B3 zone, meaning that off-site parking must be provided. Most of the other businesses on Court Street are in B2-D zones, a city map shows. The city website shows that residential rental properties must offer one off-street parking spot per tenant.
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