USC considers new Dunkin’ Donuts
A new joint-retail location a developer is seeking to build at the site of Allen’s Auto Services would be anchored by a Dunkin’ Donuts. The Upper St. Clair Board of Commissioners heard from Mike Orie, operating as USC RE, LLC, at its Dec. 5 meeting as he laid his plan to build a two-tenant building across from King’s restaurant at 145 McMurray Road.
“The other tenant would be one of the usual suspects for a building like this: haircutters, drop-off dry cleaners, a small financial office – something with low turnover, something that would compliment this. It certainly won’t be a bar,” Orie said.
Kevin Pruemer of Bertin Engineering said Orie is seeking allowances under current zoning ordinances to build within 400 feet of another restaurant, and that similar permissions were given to Chik-Fil-A to build within 400 feet of StonePepper’s Grill off of Washington Road. Pruemer said another condition would be a requested 3-foot buffer surrounding the parking lot. Orie then presented his plan to mitigate stormwater on the parking lot with 31 spaces.
“We’re looking to place a raingarden in the center and trees around the property … and we would raise the lot by 1.5 feet to get it out of the flood plain,” Orie said.
As for traffic concerns, Orie said he travels McMurray Road everyday, and that his traffic studies and meetings with PennDOT have shown a two-entrance lot could be a viable plan.
“There is talk of prohibiting left-hand turns into the lot during peak hours. That site, an auto service business, was receiving tankers for the past 40 years … our deliveries would be two a week, and during off-peak times,” Orie said, “and the new Dunkin’ location in Mt. Lebanon used to be a BP station. We’re seeing no traffic issues there in a main roadway.”
The Dunkin’ Donuts site would have 1,950 square feet of space while the other undetermined tenant would have 3,000 square feet. Orie said the donut shop would employee 25 people. The public hearing was continued to Feb. 2.