New Kensington council to consider traffic impact of proposed Popeyes restaurant

A proposal to build a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen on Tarentum Bridge Road in New Kensington will face its final hurdle before city council in early January.

The mayor and council are scheduled to hear an appeal to grant a conditional use to the city’s zoning at 7 p.m. Jan. 3 at city hall, 301 11th St.

That approval is needed because the traffic flow to the restaurant, to be built in the Giant Eagle plaza, is expected to exceed 1,000 vehicles per day, city engineer Tony Males said.

Although the restaurant itself is a permitted use, New Kensington’s ordinances require it to get the conditional use approval through the planning commission and council because of its expected impact on traffic.

The planning commission in September recommended approval without any conditions. But council could impose conditions of its own, Males said.

The city’s zoning hearing board also had a role to play because of the restaurant’s drive-thru lane. The board approved a special exception for it, also without conditions, Males said.

“Nobody saw anything raising any flags or concerns,” he said.

The appearance before city council “is the final step of getting all the municipal approvals,” Males said.

An engineer on the project with Gateway Engineers could not be reached for comment Friday.

If approved by council, Males said he would anticipate construction to start shortly thereafter, as building plans have already been submitted to the city.

He said construction is expected to take six to nine months to complete.