Martins filling station bought by Donegal County Council.

globcar

COUNCIL MAKES MAJOR PURCHASE OF LAND IN BID TO EASE LETTERKENNY’S TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK

December 20, 2012
Donegal County Council has moved one step towards solving its traffic gridlock problems in Letterkenny following the purchase of a major plot of land.
The three and a half acre parcel of land, which is owned by the Martin family at Bonagee, includes the family petrol station at the Bonagee Roundabout.
The purchase of the site by DCC in conjunction wit the National Roads Authority, will see Letterkenny’s Relief Road Project become one step closer to reality.
When complete, a link road will join the dual carriageway with the Business Park road and taking large volumes of traffic away from the centre of the town.
Cllr Dessie Larkin, the Mayor of Letterkenny, welcomed the news.
“We have been working on this project behind the scenes for a long time now. I would like to pay tribute to the Martin family for their co-operation.
“We are talking about a family home and a family business and it could not have been easy for them giving al that up,” he said.
Cllr Larkin said the purchase of the site does not guarantee the road will go ahead but it moves the project a further step in the right direction, he said.
“We are all aware of the traffic gridlock with people form Northern Ireland travelling to Ramelton and Rathmullan and West Donegal.
“Hopefully when completed this relief road will take all that traffic away fro the centre of the town and yet still allow people to use what will remain the main artery into the town,” he said.

globcar

:eek: :eek: A Donegal County Clr buys the Dry Arch Complex and then........wait for it ..........Donegal County Council buys the competition and plans to demolish it for a road that will probably not be built in the next 20 years.........would only happen in Donegal !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seaney86

Very good story, bit suspect but im sure theres a genuine reason for the purchase.
Its a pity though because its the only place I buy my fuel, quality is excellent and its unbelievable how many mechanics recommend getting fuel there.

Flibbles

We don't take kindly to that source around these parts.

retalivity

a more suitable link may be found here....

http://www.donegalnow.com/sp/article_manager/detail/letterkenny_business_to_make_way_for_new_link_road

So Larkin thinks its great that the council bought a petrol station and are closing it down, therefore removing the competition for his fellow councillor/FF crony ciaran brogan??

echo beach

If it is the NRA that build the roads why is the council buying the land for it?

Do the council still own the land they bought along the dual carriageway to build an airport?

homer simpson

Interesting development....

As mod can I ask people to please be mindful of what they post please and not make any accusations unless you can back it up.

Senna

They better have plans to lease it out and there would be no problem offering 2-3 year lease, it a far more desirable stand than the two other stations, its just the Martins never seemed that bothered about attracting customers.

Complete and utter Madness, buying a "going concern" for a project that hasn't funds allocated for it and isn't likely to be part of any development project for years and years. It would be different if it was just a land bank, but knowing the Martins, they didn't sell for cheap.

ootbitb

Nearby Tinney's should provide plenty of competition as they are usually about 5c cheaper and you can stay in the car.

therandomguy

Seaney86 wrote: »

Very good story, bit suspect but im sure theres a genuine reason for the purchase.
Its a pity though because its the only place I buy my fuel, quality is excellent and its unbelievable how many mechanics recommend getting fuel there.

Where is Martin's? Is this the new texaco garage at the dry arch?

globcar

Mightn't be long until it is!!!!!!!!

Wishbone Ash

globcar wrote:

a link road will join the dual carriageway with the Business Park road and taking large volumes of traffic away from the centre of the town....

....traffic gridlock with people form Northern Ireland travelling to Ramelton and Rathmullanl

I presumed traffic going to Ramelton and Rathmullan would turn right at the Ballyraine Hotel. Why would they go into the town centre?

PS - where is the Business Park Road?

muffler

The route for the new road to run from the dry arch roundabout to the Ballyraine roundabout can be viewed here

salonfire

therandomguy wrote: »

Where is Martin's? Is this the new texaco garage at the dry arch?

It is behind the new texaco garage. Take the first exit at the dry arch roundabout to access it.

Martin's has Great Gas branding

homer simpson

muffler wrote: »

The route for the new road to run from the dry arch roundabout to the Ballyraine roundabout can be viewed here

Rail corridor? Really? We have bother getting a road built never mind a rail corridor, :pac:

muffler

homer simpson wrote: »

Rail corridor? Really? We have bother getting a road built never mind a rail corridor, :pac:

Yes, its next on the list after the airport at the Big Isle

Senna

muffler wrote: »

The route for the new road to run from the dry arch roundabout to the Ballyraine roundabout can be viewed here

What brain child came up with that map in October 2009!! Talk about "pie in the sky", I cant see the road from the Dry Arch (clockwise) to Glencar ever being built and with good reason. The road from Keys roundabout to the Dry Arch is needed, but 3 bridges and an underpass!!! Never going to happen.

retalivity

it really does show up donegal coco for the blathering idiots they are...theres a couple of hundred million needed to implement all that.
how the hell are they supposed to fund all this???

salonfire

Donegal CoCo built that house and filling station 25 years ago when expanding the Dry Arch roundabout. The old buildings were demolished to make way. Now they buy it back again.

Senna

salonfire wrote: »

Donegal CoCo built that house and filling station 25 years ago when expanding the Dry Arch roundabout. The old buildings were demolished to make way. Now they buy it back again.

They built and paid for the petrol station, don't think they paid for the house, it was built later.

L1011

Had to remind myself which one this was. Interesting Google time machine effect.
Now its a GreatGas, Now its a Maxol

globcar

Word has it now that the filling station is to be DECOMMISSIONED in the next few weeks, ( fuel tanks etc disconnected/removed) thus making sure that it will never be opened again. This when DCC is looking and needs to gather all the money they can. Would it not make GOOD business sense to lease the business out, which should get at least €30000 to €35000 a year instead of spending the thousands it will take to decommission it. As there is not a hope in hell of this ring road being built in the next 20 years it could be leased on 3 or 5 year terms. I don't think I'm wrong in thinking this has something to do with politics!!!!!!!!!. How much longer are the rate payers and property tax payers in Donegal going to stand for this sort of carry on???? Also just wondering have any other of the property owners with land needed for this road been approached about the purchase of their lands?

L1011

You can't build on a station for a long period of time after the tanks are out from memory so leasing it would just delay when they can do the work.

globcar

MYOB, I don't understand what you mean, but I think if it was leased for 10 to 15 years they would still have plenty of time as there is no money for this project. If it couldn't be built in the Tiger times what hope have they now?

L1011

globcar wrote: »

MYOB, I don't understand what you mean, but I think if it was leased for 10 to 15 years they would still have plenty of time as there is no money for this project. If it couldn't be built in the Tiger times what hope have they now?

There's still relatively a lot of cash for road projects compared to what you'd think.

If there's a risk you want it built within ten years, don't let a petrol station operate on site.

Also its not really like the market for petrol stations is that fantastic.

2moreMinutes

There's definitely no market in that particular area due to the one next door to it doing a roaring trade. Wouldn't be very nice of the lads on the council to create competition next door to the current petrol station. The owner probably wouldn't be best pleased:cool:

Its also highly unlikely that anybody would want to lease a petrol station (and small shop area?) as there's very little money to be made from a petrol station without a substantial shop/deli etc attached to it.

globcar

Wouldn't be nice of the lads on council to create competition next door to the current filling station. The owner wouldn't be best pleased, especially as he is a County Councillor!!!!!!!, but maybe that is just a coincidence. I always thought that with a bit of development that Martins could be one of the best filling stations in the county, easy access, parking, easy access back onto the roundabout on the busiest roads in the north west, unlike the current filling station which has very poor access and is the scene of car crashes nearly every week. But I still don't think this road will go ahead this side of 2033, as it has been on the plans for at least the last 20 years and if our Councillors couldn't secure money during the boom times ,what chance have we now? Just cant figure how the Council could come up with the money for this purchase when there is no money for the rest of the project for many years yet...........was told this by the NRA about 3 years ago.

L1011

I spent at least ten mins getting back on to that sodding roundabout before, it was no easy access.

Cee-Jay-Cee

globcar wrote: »

Wouldn't be nice of the lads on council to create competition next door to the current filling station. The owner wouldn't be best pleased, especially as he is a County Councillor!!!!!!!, but maybe that is just a coincidence....

I genuinely do not believe its a co-incidence. I think Donegal CoCo need to explain why they have decomissioned a perfectly usable petrol station and at what expense. The proposed road isnt even in design stage let alone planning. The CoCo could have leased out the premises on short term 3 or 5 year stages to recoup their money, but no, they spent a very large 6 figure sum buying it, god knows how much more to decommission it and if the road ever gets built, another ridiculous amount of money will be spent demolishing the building (although i wouldnt be at all suprised if it were demolished in the near future just to make absolutely sure there is no form of competition for the neighbouring business)

The whole thing stinks to the absolute heavens and I'm amazed there hasnt been more local reaction to it.

Senna

CJC999 wrote: »

I genuinely do not believe its a co-incidence. I think Donegal CoCo need to explain why they have decomissioned a perfectly usable petrol station and at what expense. The proposed road isnt even in design stage let alone planning. The CoCo could have leased out the premises on short term 3 or 5 year stages to recoup their money, but no, they spent a very large 6 figure sum buying it, god knows how much more to decommission it and if the road ever gets built, another ridiculous amount of money will be spent demolishing the building (although i wouldnt be at all suprised if it were demolished in the near future just to make absolutely sure there is no form of competition for the neighbouring business)

The whole thing stinks to the absolute heavens and I'm amazed there hasnt been more local reaction to it.

Now that's a premonition, the work men have started on the canopy this morning.

retalivity

tbh, is anyone actually surprised?
this kind of stuff has been going on for years, and while people talk about it and how its a disgrace, abuse of power, position etc.... nothing ever gets done nor is anyone ever reprimanded or held accountable.