Tuesday, February 27, 2018

About The El Camion Food Truck Parked At Old Bicycle Center Location And History Of The Property



The Laurelhurst Blog has received many inquiries about the El Camion food truck that appeared about two months ago, in the parking lot of where the former Bicycle Center
(4529 Sand Point Way NE) was located until it closed in late 2015.  Before that it was the location of Zopf Pharmacy, whose family still owns the land. 

It was reported that El Camion was serving food about 3 weeks ago at the location, without a permit in place.

The Laurelhurst Blog checked with Seattle Department of Zoning and Inspections, regarding the permit status and one of the Inspectors, Scott, replied after checking on the permit status with the food truck owner : 
We have communicated with the property owner and representative of the food truck owner and they have been given notice to remove or get a permit.  
The representative for the food truck owner immediately came in the day after notification from us and started the process to get a temporary permit.  
We will monitor this insuring progress toward them getting a permit. As long as they are progressing toward getting into compliance they are allowed to be open from SDCI’s standpoint. 

The Laurelhurst Blog also contacted the representative for the property who said: 
El Camion has permission to use the property. They are responsible for their own permits and compliance.
Randy, the grandson of the original owner, George Zopf, said that his grandfather built the building that housed Zopf Pharmacy that also included a popular soda fountain, until the 1970's.  It was also where George, a pharmacist, met his wife. Their daughter, Phyllis, also was a pharmacist there for many years.  
 
One neighbor told the Blog staff of Zopf Pharmacy:

Really old Laurelhurstians remember that place as Zopf's Pharmacy in the mid-60's complete with a great soda fountain! And Green River Sodas for 35 cents.  They had a great comic book selection too(which my mom wouldn’t let me buy). I’d sit at Zopf’s and read the latest Flash until chased away by Mrs. Zopf.
The building was demolished in November 2016 after it became more and more dilapidated and covered with graffiti

In 2005 the upstairs portion of the building sustained about $75,000 in damage in an arson fire allegedly started by an employee who wasn't paid. No repairs were ever done following the fire to the deck, siding or the two-bedroom, two-bathroom upstairs apartment, leaving it completely fire damaged. It was reported that there was no running water or heat in the fire damaged building, when the Bicycle Center was in operation.

A neighbor said that when the building was being demolished and the inside was visible, especially the upstairs, one could see graffiti, needles, and the severe decay.


The property manager told the Laurelhurst Blog staff in 2016:
We do not have a building design and use of the new building for the property  at this point.  We just want to remove the neighborhood nuisance. 



Zopf Pharmacy on left in 1949
(photo courtesy of neighbor)

1 comment:

Marjorie said...

George and Rubie Zoof met as teenagers in Iowa. They eloped, taking a street car downtown to the clerks office. Then they took a car trip to see the west and chose Onalaska in Lewis county for their first drugstore George fixed up my parents first date there and the couples were close friends all their lives.