Tag Archives: gas stations

Brown Bear planning car wash in Poulsbo

 

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Brown Bear plans to build a car wash on the site of its old Highway 305 gas station in Poulsbo. For those you who want to do their own car wash, BestOfMachinery has a selection of pressure washer by Ryobi as reviewed by Bob Robinson. Check them out and maybe you can get one on a discount.

Car Wash Enterprises, parent company of Brown Bear, is proposing a single-lane, tunnel-style car wash on the 0.75-acre parcel, according to city planning documents. The proposal also includes eight covered vacuum stations and a two-lane auto pay station.

The property is located at the southeast corner of  Highway 305 and Hostmark Street. A pre-application meeting for the proposal was held Sept. 1.

Brown Bear closed and demolished Chevron fuel stations and mini-marts in Poulsbo and on Bainbridge Island early this year, citing challenges in the retail fuel market.

“We are a car wash company,” company Vice President Lance Odermat said at the time. “Fuel is not our core business.”

Brown Bear closing Chevrons on Hwy 305

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Drivers will have two fewer fuel options along Highway 305 this spring.

Brown Bear Car Wash of Seattle plans to shut down two Chevron stations on the highway in the next six weeks. Its location off Hostmark Street in Poulsbo on Feb. 26. The Chevron off Hildebrand Lane on Bainbridge Island will close March 31, according to Brown Bear regional manager Larae Giuseffi.

Giuseffi declined to discuss the reason behind the closures.  A call to Brown Bear’s corporate office was not returned Friday.

Brown Bear also owns a gas station at Highway 305 and High School Road, across the street from its Hildebrand location. Giuseffi said the company will keep that station open.

The closure of Brown Bear’s Hildebrand location will leave Bainbridge with two gas stations (a 76 station operates in Island Center).

Fuel stations on the island and in Poulsbo compete with tribally-owned stations in Suquamish, which work under a different taxing agreement than private sellers and can generally offer cheaper prices.

A Safeway store and gas station opened near Highway 305 and Lincoln Road last June, adding 10 pumps to the thoroughfare.