The Wajdas have moved their business to Warren.

But just barely.

The longtime owners of K&W Automotive Repair at the BP gas station on County Road recently relocated their business to a garage near the foot of the Warren River Bridge in that town. 

Wendy Wajda, who owns the business with her husband Ken, said some of their clients from Barrington have joked about the new location, which is about a half-mile south along Route 114 from the Wajda's old spot.

"The Barrington line is right there. It's that close," Mrs. Wajda said, pointing west toward the bridge. "And our customers coming over — it's become a joke: 'You know I have to cross two bridges to get here.' Somebody said that to me yesterday. I turned around and said 'Do you want me to pack you a lunch?'

"Obviously, no one seems to have a problem with it yet."

The change in locations was forced upon the longtime Barrington residents. 

For 18 years, the Wajdas ran the BP gas station and adjacent auto repair shop. Initially, they had a multi-year lease with the property's owner, Getty Realty Corp. But recently, Getty extended a month-to-month lease to the Wajdas. Not long after that the Wajdas learned that a developer was interested in building a new Starbucks restaurant on the County Road property. 

In November, Getty Realty Corp., working through an intermediate, told the Wajdas that they were being evicted.

The Wajdas were forced to remove all their equipment from the property by the end of December — a nearly impossible task, considering how much they have accumulated on the property at 227 County Road. 

"We've kept investing (in the property)," Mrs. Wajda said during an interview in December. "I just filled a $1,200 oil drum with oil for oil changes. I'm never going to go through that. My husband just spent $5,000 on a Jeep and a plow because it's our job to plow the parking lot… We would never have done that. No one saw this coming."

New beginning

The Wajdas moved into their new repair shop in Warren on Jan. 1.

Mrs. Wadja said she and her husband had heard that Gil Ferreira, who owned and operated Gil's Automotive Services Inc. at 50 Main St. (Route 114) in Warren, was looking to retire.

"We came over and approached him, and I guess he went home and talked with his wife. They called us up and asked us to come in and sit down, and they were willing to entrust us with his clientele, which is… which feels really good," Mrs. Wajda said. "He gave me his entire clientele list."

The Wajdas have kept both phone numbers — K&W's number from Barrington and Gil's number — and they are also keeping Gil's mechanic on-staff. 

"At first I was afraid we might not be busy enough to have two full-time mechanics, but it seems that we're already having to put people off to other days," Mrs. Wajda said.

The Wajdas said many of their customers from Barrington have already made the trip to Warren to visit them — some to have their vehicles serviced and others just to say "Hi." They have also been impressed by the number of Warren residents who have popped in.

"A Warren police officer came in yesterday and asked if we could work on his personal truck," Mrs. Wajda said. "That's the Ford they're pulling out of the middle bay. They trust us… It feels good that we're welcomed."

The Wajdas were also excited about the prospect of picking up new customers from the Tourister Mill complex, which is located just across Route 114 from their shop. 

Full service but no gas

"The one thing I wanted to reiterate to people is that I understand that we don't have gas any more, and everyone keeps asking me if we're going to get it," Mrs. Wajda said. 

For years, the Wajdas ran the full-service gas station at BP. In addition to operating the auto repair shop, they also had numerous clients who stopped by to have their vehicle's gas tank filled. 

Mrs. Wajda said Gil's has not had gas pumps for decades, and considering its proximity to the water, she believes it would be very difficult to gain approval to replace the underground tanks. 

"But that being said, having Armando here with us now, taking him over with us, we're still going to be a full-service station but without the gas," Mrs. Wajda said. "You need air in your tires. You need your oil checked. You need a windshield wiper put on, brake lights that went out, stuff that he can do right away. Pull in, he's here, we're full-service. Plug a tire. All that stuff that he can do without bothering the guys (the mechanics in the garage.) He's going to be here, ringing people out, answering phones and making phone calls. 

"There are no full-service stations like that around."

Still interested in Starbucks plan

Wendy and Ken Wajda may have moved their business to Warren, but they are still keeping a close eye on Barrington. More specifically, the Wajdas are very interested in the plan to bring a new Starbucks to the property that formerly hosted their gas station and repair shop.

"Regardless of the fact that I've moved on, for the better, I still live in town, and I have my entire life. And I don't want to see that (Starbucks) happen," Mrs. Wajda said.

The Wajdas have attended the Technical Review Committee meetings where the Starbucks plan was discussed. On occasion, Mrs. Wajda has spoken during the meetings, sharing her opposition toward the plan. 

"I will be there to stick up for people, the neighbors," Mrs. Wajda. "The abutters do not want it."

Mrs. Wajda criticized the property owner for forcing her to leave the property before the Starbucks plan received any approvals. She said the developer likely requested the BP close, so that people would push to fill the empty parcel sooner rather than later.

"Sure, why not? It's better than looking at an empty gas station. That is exactly what they (the developers) wanted. That's exactly why they wanted us out of there, and that's just wrong," she said. "It hadn't even gotten approved. They knew what they were doing. They absolutely knew what they were doing."