The West Hollywood Planning Commission unanimously approved a redevelopment project at 8020 Santa Monica Boulevard, allowing the demolition of an existing Shell service station to make way for a modernized facility. The decision, via Resolution No. PC 25-1605, greenlights a 2,000-square-foot commercial building with a 24-hour convenience store selling beer and wine for off-site consumption,, a café with outdoor dining, and an expanded fuel canopy with twelve pumps.
The project was proposed by World Oil Marketing Company and property owner Bost Land, LLC. It includes pedestrian enhancements, reduced driveways for safer access, 3,749 square feet of new landscaping, and two EV charging stations. Associate Planner Roger Rath emphasized its alignment with General Plan goals, noting, “The project… will result in a significant improvement to a site that has been in continuous operation since the late 1960s.” The design, inspired by Route 66 and Googie-style architecture, incorporates a curved canopy resembling a ship’s bow, earning praise from the commission’s Design Review Subcommittee for its modern aesthetic.
Public comment revealed a divide. Victor Omelczenko, speaking for the West Hollywood Preservation Alliance, supported the project, calling it “a timely tribute” to Route 66’s 2026 centennial. However, resident Nicole Rathbone, living at 1044½ N Crescent Heights Blvd, opposed it, citing construction noise, air quality risks, and traffic congestion on an already busy corridor. “This project does not serve a public need,” she said, highlighting potential disruptions to small businesses like a neighboring flower shop and the residential area’s quiet character.
Commissioners acknowledged Rathbone’s concerns but found the project’s benefits outweighed the temporary impacts. Commissioner Stacey Jones, a longtime Laurel Avenue resident, noted, “This has been my preferred gas station… I think this is gonna be a really good thing for this area.” Commissioner Erick J. Matos praised the inclusion of EV charging stations, a public good for a city with limited options, while Commissioner Lynn M. Hoopingarner lauded the applicant’s design revisions, stating, “This project dramatically activates the space.”
The applicant’s representative, DJ Moore, affirmed their commitment to minimizing disruptions, stating, “The construction timeline for this project is very short and we’re subject to the five pages of conditions that are included in the staff’s recommendation.” The commission added conditions to the approval, including EV signage, explicit mention of bicycle racks in the resolution, and replacing one coastal live oak tree with a desert willow to ensure compatibility. The decision is appealable to the City Council until June 16, 2025.
What we need are MORE EV charging stations so we will be ready to completely replace gas powered internal combustion vehicles by the 2030s.👏🏽
“My gas station. My choice!” Remember when we played with that slogan for a while?
Will the gas station be open for business during construction?
LOL this is the Shell that’s notorious for having skimmers in their pump Credit Card machines. Super surprised that they aren’t just wanting to sell the land..that whole block facing SM Blvd is apt to eventually become mixed use..prime real estate.
Love the smell of volatile organic carbons off gassing endlessly in my remediated future superfund class action condominium
Those are volatile hydrocarbons, an organic compound as in a chemical compound is one that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others that are considered an organic compound to include ANY chemical compound that contains carbon.
Dumbass lmao