Healdsburg City Council plans to purchase former gas station

A decrepit former gas station at a prominent downtown Healdsburg intersection is set to be purchased by the city.

The Healdsburg City Council on Monday night is scheduled to consider authorizing the city manager to execute a tentative agreement to buy the property at 185 Healdsburg Ave. for an amount not to exceed $640,000.

The property has been on the market for years and the city recently struck an agreement with the owners, Steven and Leslee Chain, to buy it.

Foss Creek flows through a box culvert structure underneath the property, which is located at the corner of Healdsburg Avenue and Mill street, a block south of the Healdsburg Plaza.

But the nearly 100-year-old culvert is in poor condition. Because of the probability it could undermine portions of Healdsburg Avenue and the inability to repair or reconstruct the structure without major disruption to the property, Public Works Director Brent Salmi recommended the purchase.

It also fits in with the city’s long-term plan to uncover the creek as it emerges from under the adjacent five-way intersection.

“The idea is they want to daylight that creek and make it similar to how it is at Bear Republic (brewery),” Mayor Shaun McCaffery said Monday.

The city is also planning to replace the tricky five-way intersection with a roundabout. Although Healdsburg doesn’t need to acquire the property to create the roundabout, “it’s helpful to tie the space all together and make it more pedestrian friendly,” McCaffery said.

The property is being sold “as is” but the city has 20 days to do inspect it. If the inspections reveal anything that renders the property unsuitable for purchase, the city can terminate the agreement.

McCaffery said previous tests found no sign of contamination from gasoline or oil.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @clarkmas.