A major change may be coming to the corner of 19th & Kirkham. The Planning Department has received an application to replace the intersection's 1,200-square-foot smog check and oil-change spot, Quality Tune-Up, with an 8,000-square-foot preschool.

The application has few other details on the proposed school, aside from mentioning that it would have an enclosed rear yard running the full length of the building. We reached out to the architect on the project, Michael Harris Architects of South Park, to get more information, but did not receive a response by press time.

Project site with new homes by Henry Doelger in the 1930s. (Photo: via SFPL)

One sign that Quality Tune-Up might be positioned to depart: its underground storage tanks were removed way back in 1999, a move that frequently precedes a former gas station's sale or development. Under a 1992 city ordinance, the old tanks (which often contain lead that can contaminate the soil or groundwater) must be removed at the seller's expense before a property can be sold.

Same view in 2015.rrow indicates location of Doelger homes. (Image: Google Maps)

In recent years, the lack of affordable housing and a high cost of living has caused many families to flee the city, and San Francisco has the nation's smallest percentage of residents younger than 18, only 13.4 percent. Even so, there's a high concentration of preschools in the Sunset and western neighborhoods, which boast relatively high numbers of families with children.

We'll continue to follow the proposed preschool as it makes its way through the approval process. If you know of other major Sunset construction on the way, let us know via our tipline.