Is Sheetz more of a gas station or convenience store?
The answer could decide whether the Altoona-based chain expands into Pittsburgh city limits.
Sheetz is proposing to demolish a vacant Rite Aid in Pittsburgh’s Banksville neighborhood and replace it with a roughly 5,000-square-foot convenience store and five multi-pump fuel dispensers. To do so, it will need a variance on a piece of city zoning code that prohibits gas stations within 150 feet of a residential district.
The property along Banksville Road sits just 30 feet from the nearest homes, a concern repeatedly raised by Pittsburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment Chair Alice Mitinger during a Thursday hearing on the proposal.
Ryan Wotus, the attorney representing Sheetz, argued made-to-order food (MTOs) and other retail items are the core of the chain’s business, not gas. He also noted the zoning code restricts gas stations’ proximity to residential areas only when they’re a primary use of a property.
“Really what the primary operation of this is, is a convenience store,” Wotus said. “It’s a retail sales operation.”
A couple of Banksville residents raised concerns about the planned 24/7 operation. Gene Henry, who lives close to the old Rite Aid, said the 150-foot restriction should apply here, protecting residents from the vehicle emissions and traffic generated by gas stations.
“I don’t have a problem with a convenience store being there by itself, but not a gas station,” Henry said.
Lori Marabello, an executive assistant for Pittsburgh Councilwoman Kim Salintero, D-Banksville, testified on behalf of her boss in support of the project.
Sheetz will have the chance to submit additional information to the board.
The company did not immediately return a request for comment.