Several Mosholu Avenue businesses without gas for three months

You go in there with your coat but I wouldn’t want to spend 8 hours in there.”

Deirdre Burke, C-Town shopper

Several businesses on Mosholu Avenue, beginning with New China Restaurant and ending with Frankie’s Tavern, are entering into their third month without gas. 

New China Restaurant at 5690 Mosholu Ave. and P & D Laundromat at 5684 Mosholu Ave., closed Sept. 25, when Con Edison identified a gas leak. 

The other businesses affected remain open to customers, including C-Town Supermarket, Center for Prosthetic and Orthotics, Broadway Upholstery and Frankie’s Tavern. 

Consolidated Edison company, commonly referred to as Con Edison, the major electric, gas and steam distributors for Westchester and New York City, told The Press in an email, a gas leak was found at one of the business and a plumber had to be contacted to make necessary repairs before the gas could be turned back on. 

Despite not having gas, businesses like the C-Town supermarket opens its doors at 8 a.m. every day.

Local resident, Deirdre Burke, said she lives around the corner from the supermarket and shops there often. 

“You go in there with your coat but I wouldn’t want to spend eight hours in there,” she said. 

Burke said the walkable distance to the supermarket from her home and its consistently stocked shelves, make her a loyal customer. She added, when most stores were without items during the COVID-19 pandemic, the C-Town in her neighborhood kept items well stocked. 

“It was the one place you could get toilet paper and paper towels,” Burke said, “It’s a family business.”

The supermarket’s manager, Matt Patel, said the lack of gas has not poorly affected his business.

“We manage,” he said. 

Patel has been the manager of the supermarket since 2019 and said that he’s unsure what will happen in the time period that the store continues without gas, but they will remain open. 

A few stores down, Frankie’s Tavern still has consistent patrons who brave the chill with the help of space heaters that the landlord set up in the space. The tavern did not return a request for comment. 

As far as details concerning the gas leak or when Con Edison will bring back the gas, Patel said the building’s landlord is in contact with the energy company, but as far as he knows, no clear timeline for utility restoration has been given. 

According to Con Edison when a gas leak is identified on customer-owned equipment the customer is responsible for repairs. 

“It’s not the businesses but the owner/landlord/property manager’s responsibility,” the Con Edison spokesperson said, and declined to specify which business was the source of the leak.

State law requires gas service lines to be inspected once every four years. These surveys include a visual inspection of exposed pipes leading to the gas meter for corrosion and investigations into potential gas leaks. 

Con Edison explained natural gas does not have an odor, but a chemical called mercaptan, which smells of sulfur or rotten eggs, is added to the gas so people can detect it in case of a leak. Gas can pose a safety hazard to individuals with just 5% exposure to the atmosphere, which is why Con Edison urges anyone who smells gas to immediately leave the area and call them or 911. 

In order to bring back the gas the landlord or property owner must repair the cracked or broken pipes. Then, Con Edison returns to the site and performs safety tests before restoring gas service.

To prevent gas leaks inside of residential homes or businesses, Con Edison suggests the following. Ensure all stove burners are off after use and pilot lights remain on. Do a home inspection of the connector bringing gas to appliances as these pieces tend to crack and become brittle over time. Keep flammable materials away from gas-powered appliances and keep debris – like snow, ice or leaves – clear from heating and ventilation systems to avoid blocking vents and exhaust ducts. 

Burke is hopeful that the businesses will return to regular operation soon. 

“It’s an economic hit for the business people,” Burke said.