Gas station owner, city in dispute

Only a few hours after he was released from the hospital where he was reportedly treated for a minor stroke and stress, gas station owner Tony Eskanian vowed to keep fighting against the City of Medford, which he accuses of trying to hurt his business because he has been successfully selling cheap gas to motorists from throughout the area.

''They're jealous of me because I've been successful," said Eskanian, who objects to the city's building of a curb at one of his three stations, which, he said, will make it difficult for gasoline trucks to fill up the tanks at the station.

But city officials say they are not looking to hurt his business by installing the curb, but to prevent motorists from dashing into the gas station and endangering pedestrians walking by.

''It's about public safety," said Councilor Paul A. Camuso, who said he has been fielding complaints from neighbors of Eskanian's station at Salem and Otis streets about how motorists are speeding as they enter the station.

Camuso said a traffic engineer and city surveyors determined before work began on the curb that gas trucks would be able to refuel pumps without problems. Besides, the city owns the curb and sidewalk area and can improve it when officials see fit, he said.

To protest the building of the curb, Eskanian earlier this month lowered his gas price at the station to $1.04 a gallon, causing mile-long lines of cars. Camuso said that officials had to assign a police detail to handle the traffic and that he thinks Eskanian should pay for the detail.

''If the owner wants to be spiteful, this is his problem," Camuso said. ''But I think he should be forced to pay for the police detail."

But Eskanian said he can't afford to pay for the detail. He estimates he lost about $6,000 an hour when he dropped his price last week until he sold out all his gas that day. Since then, the stations' gas prices have fluctuated from $1.50 to $1.97 a gallon.

For months now, Eskanian, 47, has undercut his competition, charging 15 to 30 cents less for gas at his Medford stations. When prices skyrocketed after Hurricane Katrina, the Lebanese-born station owner refused to join in price-gouging, keeping prices well below other stations. When prices finally fell, he dropped his even further.

According to www.bostongasprices.com, Eskanian's stations regularly top the lists as the area's best bargain. His low-price reputation has drawn customers from surrounding towns, even from New Hampshire.

Neighbors said the increased traffic has diminished safety at the station at Otis and Salem streets. ''It's been a problem for a number of years," said George White, who lives near the gas station. ''You never know when you're going to get hit."

But Eskanian said the area in question has never had an accident, and putting a curb there only prevents gas trucks from reloading his fuel pumps. ''They didn't even give us notice that they were going to put in the curb," Eskanian said.

His low-price protest sparked condemnation on Tuesday from city councilors who demanded, through a resolution, that Eskanian and Mayor Michael J. McGlynn come up with a solution to solve the public spat.

Eskanian said his battle with the city is what led to his hospitalization.

''I'm losing my mind. I'm losing my brains," Eskanian said. Witnesses said that on Tuesday Eskanian came to one of the stations, wrapped himself in an American flag, and fell on the floor. He started yelling that he was going to kill himself, said witnesses.

Eskanian was later rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, where doctors determined he had suffered a mild stroke, said Jacqueline Eskanian, the station owner's 20-year-old daughter. He was released Wednesday night.

On Wednesday, all three Medford stations were closed. Yellow ribbons were wrapped around pumps as workers turned away motorists looking for their regular bargain on fuel.

Eskanian at first said he was keeping the stations closed until he gets a promise from the city that the ''police won't keep coming by to harass my customers," but on Thursday he said he might open one station.

White said despite the curb flap, he hopes Eskanian's stations remain open.

''And I hope he continues to sell gas," said White, a regular customer. ''I will continue to buy it [from Eskanian] if it's at that price."