The Murieta Pet Hospital hopes to open in April.

RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Two new additions to the Bel Air shopping center should open in the near future. A third business remains closed.

The Murieta Vet Clinic located east of Oakville Lane hopes to open in April. The combination of a Shell Station, Circle K Convenience Store and a Subway located west of Oakville Lane will likely not be too far behind, although the owner didn’t provide an estimate for the opening. The Zothex flooring Store, which sits across from the Bel Air Market, has been closed since November.

Vet clinic

Meka Smith, one of the owners of the veterinary hospital, said they hope to open in April. “The building is actually complete, “she said. “The only thing we are waiting on is an electrical switch.”

Smith said they have ordered the switch that is needed to connect the building to the electrical grid from two different sources because of the manufacturing delays. “Once we get it, the countdown will start,” she said. “It will be a six to eight-week time frame before we open.”

Smith said they will initially staff the clinic with one full-time veterinarian with one of the partners filling in part-time. “We also are in the process of hiring another doctor and support staff,” she said. “We actually have a couple offers out to people who already live in the area.”

The partnership also operates Broadway Veterinary Hospital in Sacramento and the Venetian Pet Hospital in Stockton.

The 4,500-square-foot building in Rancho Murieta will have two fully functioning operating rooms, an in-house laboratory, and hospital equipment that will include digital Xray machines and ultrasound.

Persons interested in employment can contact the practice at [email protected].

Shell Station

The owners are Bhupinder and Manpreet Sandhu, who previously owned the Subway restaurant in the Murieta Plaza that closed several years ago.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved their application for the Murieta Gardens Circle K Convenience Store, Service Station, and Carwash Project on Sept. 24, 2019, but initial work on the site didn’t begin until 2021.

The construction work at the site has been on again and off again until a recent flurry of activity. When the River Valley Times visited the site on March 14, the fuel dispensers had already been installed although they were covered with cardboard, and it appeared that paving was about to begin.

Bhupinder Sandu confirmed that paving would  begin the following week, but he didn’t say when he expected the business to open. 

The plans submitted to the county show a 3,652 square foot canopy for the Shell-gas-and-diesel-fueling area with six pumps and 12 dispensers. The 4,944-square-foot building will house the convenience store and restaurant with a drive-through. The separate drive-through carwash, which is nearing completion, is listed at 1,120 square feet. Also, on the plans are an enclosed dog wash, an outdoor eating area for the Subway,  and an outdoor area for propane sales.
The Shell Station complex will be in direct competition with The Country Store, which has a Burger King, a Chevron station, and a carwash. 

 A Shell Station with a Circle K Convenience Store and a Subway restaurant is finally nearing completion.

Zothex Flooring

After opening in late 2022,  Zothex Flooring, Cabinets, & More in Rancho Murieta has been sitting empty for several months. According to a Nov. 28 story by KCRA, owner Clayton Rodrigues closed all six of his stores in November. When the Channel 3 reporter spotted Rodrigues, he refused to go on camera, but he said he planned to help customers with unfinished jobs.

The River Valley Times tried to reach Tony Velez, who manages the Bel Air shopping center, for more details about the closure of the local store,  but he didn’t respond.

According to the California State Contractors Licensing Board, Zothex Flooring Inc. recently renewed its contractor’s license. However, the website also states: “This license is inactive and not able to contract at this time.” It also shows that four customers filed complaints with the board in 2023.

The Better Business Bureau website lists 13 complaints lodged against Zothex in 2022, 2023, and 2024.  One customer reported paying $15,825 for countertops that were never installed. A non-profit agency said that after making $25,000 in deposits, the business didn’t return its emails or phone calls. 

 The Zothex flooring store remains empty after the owner closed all six of his stores in November.