City to Consider Revamped Gas Station

After running into a roadblock in their last attempt to expand a gas station on Cabot Road, Unocal representatives tonight will again ask the city for permission to add a convenience store and carwash.

The gas company’s proposal includes a driveway that council members criticized on Sept. 24 as being too close to the intersection of Cabot and La Paz roads.

“It’s one of our busiest intersections,” Councilwoman Cindy Greengold said. “I’m very concerned about people negotiating that turn.”

Acting in their role as the Laguna Hills planning agency, council members also indicated their displeasure with the modern-style architecture. The plans were changed to substitute a metal roof with a tiled mission-style look.

City officials have recommended denial of Unocal’s request to allow a driveway less than 40 feet from the intersection.

The revamped gas station would include a 760-square-foot food mart, 12 gas pumps and a 1,033-square-foot carwash. An existing gas station that was built in the early 1970s would be demolished to make way for the expansion.

Although the gas station and convenience store would be open 24 hours, carwash hours would be from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.