Vanderbilt’s Sweet Peas gas and convenience store closed Tuesday. The gas station, which opened in the 1960s, and the convenience store, which opened in the 1990s, served the Vanderbilt, Dickerson Run, Liberty and Dawson area. “We were losing money,” said Al Risk, sales manager at Center Independent Oil Co., Smock, which owns the station. Risk said several factors contributed to the closure. Risk said when Martin’s and Shop ‘n Save began selling gas, some customers started buying their gas in Connellsville. Last summer’s renovation of Dawson bridge also cost customers, he said. “They started going somewhere else when the bridge was closed and didn’t come back,” Risk said. The facility is for sale. The new owner will have to replace the gas storage tanks. Vanderbilt Council President Thomas Sankovich said the closure has impacted the town. “Everyone I’ve talked to is very disappointed. To get gas for our lawn mowers, we have to drive to Connellsville or Perryopolis.” With gas at approximately $3 per gallon, the nearly 10-mile round trip to Connellsville and the nearly 20-mile round trip to Perryopolis will add to residents’ gas costs. Mayor Joe Ambrose said the closure has had a bad effect already. “We lost jobs. At least seven people worked there. All of them were local. Some of them walked to work. We’ll lose taxes, and the convenience of getting gas in the Vanderbilt and Tri-Town area.” Ambrose said that Sweet Peas opened at 6 a.m. and many residents gathered for morning coffee. “It’s definitely a loss to the area. I hope someone buys it and reopens it so we don’t have another boarded-up building,” Ambrose said. Vanderbilt Borough bought its gas at Sweet Peas. Across the river in Dawson, borough council will have to get a new gas account. The borough filled its vehicles with a Sweet Peas account. “Everybody I’ve talked to is upset,” Sankovich said. He said he has heard of a possible buyer and expects a large turnout at Tuesday’s borough council meeting.

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