No More Gas Stations on Ninth Street?

By Maddy Vitale Travelers leaving Ocean City from Ninth Street had better make sure they have enough fuel. As of Monday, it appears motorists will only be able to buy gas in Somers Point, or on the other side of town, at 34^th Street in Ocean City. Instead of gas at both the Sunoco station and at Wiesenthal’s Auto Service on Ninth Street, orange cones were in front of the fuel bays. Don Wiesenthal and his brother, Glenn, have owned Wiesenthal’s Auto Service in Ocean City since 1968. Their landmark business may be moving. The repair shop, which is at the corner of Ninth Street and West Avenue, has been a staple in the community. Wiesenthal's Auto Service has been a fixture in Ocean City for half a century. But the Wiesenthals, who have leased the space at 860 West Ave. since they opened, said they recently learned they may have to relocate. “Word on the street is the building is for sale,” Don Wiesenthal, of Somers Point, said Monday. The brothers, who sold Texaco and Shell gas at different times over the years, got out of the gas business after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Wiesenthal said.   But in recent years, Grace Energy, based in Rio Grande, leased the pumps and sold gas. “They came down and closed the pumps Dec. 1,” Don Wiesenthal said of Grace Energy. “We took down the gas price signs so people don't come in and turn around.” Now, with orange cones in front of the pumps, customers might think the business is closed, he noted. “They stayed until they pumped all the gas,” Wiesenthal said of Grace Energy. For now, he said, it hasn't hurt business. “We have our regulars,” he said. But with Grace Energy pulling out, only time will tell, he said. Don Wiesenthal may be looking for a new place to move his auto repair business after 50 years at the corner of Ninth Street and West Avenue. Sunoco, at 201 E. Ninth Street, was the only other business selling gas on the main thoroughfare into town. With cones blocking its fuel bays Monday, it was unclear whether the gas station stopped selling fuel altogether, or if it was temporarily unavailable. Owners could not be reached for comment. However, according to the commercial real estate website www.loopnet.com, the Sunoco is listed for sale at $1.3 million. Unconfirmed reports are circulating that a bank is interested in purchasing the Sunoco property and the building that houses Wiesenthal’s Auto Service. For the time being, travelers leaving town on the Ninth Street corridor will have to go over the bridge into Somers Point to buy gas or head south to 34^th Street on the island to fuel up. Wiesenthal said without gas at his property, and if and when the Sunoco is sold, it could ultimately hurt his business. “Traffic builds traffic. People know us because we’ve been here a long time,” Wiesenthal said, looking out at the empty fuel bays. “But if all of the gas stations close up, it will affect us. It will also impact tourism. If there is no fuel on this end what are you going to do?” Wiesenthal said his lease is up in March. If he is told he has to leave, the plan is to reopen at another location, preferably on the island. “There isn’t much out there. We aren’t having much luck,” he said. “We are looking just in case. Who knows, maybe we will be here a lot longer. I hope so.” While the 10th Street Wharf Marina has pumps, it only sells marine quality fuel.