Tamarindo Will Have a Gas Station!

Photo Marisol Arias

• Investment goes above$ 1 million.

What the area has long lacked is soon to become a new amenity in town. A new gas station is under construction in Santa Rosa, on the way to Huacas.

Jose Enrique Rodriguez, owner of the project, confirmed this exclusively to the Tamarindo News.

"We are under construction. I think the construction process will take two to three months," he said.

One of the most anticipated and necessary services in Tamarindo and surrounding communities has always been a service station near the main tourist attractions: the beach, national parks, and shops.

Rodriguez explained to Tamarindo News that, after the construction phase, the station must be inspected by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, responsible for determining whether the station meets the requirements of safety, environmental and other regulatory matters.

Rodríguez estimates that operations will begin this summer.

"There are many people interested in the gas station to open. People on the street show me their support on the opening of this new service, which is so important to the area," he said.

The accelerated development experienced in Tamarindo brought about the construction of real estate projects, hotels, shopping centers, schools and other facilities. Unfortunately, the development took the district by surprise and the authorities have failed to plan such growth. The urgent need for more gas stations is one of the many needs that were not covered.

Years ago, Jorge Enrique Rodriguez made the decision of opening a gas station in the area. He identified the need and began to search for properties that would meet the environmental and legal requirements established by law.

Rodriguez, a civil engineer with over 30 years of experience in managing gas stations, especially in the south of the country, explained that his previous experience allowed him to have the vision of where to locate a gas station in the area.

"I looked at several sites and I picked one of the places I visited in Guanacaste. In the area located from ​​27 de abril to Huacas, this is the only site that has the characteristics necessary for the development of a service station project," he said.

"I know there were attempts to build a gas station in the past. People tried to meet the requirements, but the groundwater table in the areas makes it difficult to open a gas station here", he said.

According to Wikipedia, the groundwater table "is the place where water is found underground. At this level, the pressure of water from the aquifer is equal to atmospheric pressure. When drilling a groundwater collecting well in a free aquifer, the water table would be the distance to which the surface water is located."

If we take into account that 95% of drinking water of the province is from underground sources, the groundwater level has then a greater value. The perforations made to install piping or fuel storage should be done in places that do not expose the water table aquifer used for human consumption to contamination or leakage.

In Costa Rica, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons of the Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications (MINAET) is the entity that arranges for permission to authorize a new gas station.

"Our department regulates and issues permits. As this case, a new station should follow a process for the approval of blueprints, second sealings, inspections, and ultimately the final approval," said Patricia Alpizar, in charge of MINAET Press.

According to this department, regular permits and authorizations to operate may take six months to a year, depending on the fulfillment of the requirements.

Permits in order

On the property where the station is built a sign is displayed.  Translated into English, it reads: "MINAET National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA). Corporation Service Station Santa Rosa Villarreal Construction Project. Area 901 meters square. Record: SETENA D1- 1223-2011SETENA. Resolution of environmental sustainability No. 627-2011-Setena grants on 03/16/2011."

Given the importance of a new station having all the permits and not jeopardizing the safety, environment, and health of the residents of the area, Tamarindo News called the Directorate of Hydrocarbons. They confirmed that the process carried out by the gas station has all the environmental and legal permits.

"As to my project, all the aquifer studies required by SENARA (National Groundwater, Irrigation, and Drainage) were already conducted and confirmed the fact that this is the only place suitable in the area to develop a gas station," said Rodriguez.

"The best guarantee of the project meeting the environmental and safety guidelines of underground water sources is that all the hydro geological studies were conducted by SENARA," he said.

Rodriguez also said that the opening of the station would eliminate clandestine fuel sales, a headache for the authorities, especially due to the insecurity in the storage and the danger of handling fuels in residences.

Facilities:

The gas station will have a convenience store and four shops with tire changing services, lubricants, etc.

Investment in the gas station exceeds $ 1 million.

"In a site dedicated to tourism, people seek comfort. Being close to all amenities is very important," Rodriguez added.