Plum Council to act on plans for new Sheetz

Plum Council is expected to vote Monday on plans for a new Sheetz on Golden Mile Highway.

The convenience store and gas station would be built along Presque Isle Drive at what is today Presque Isle Plaza.

A Kings restaurant in the plaza closed in September. The building that housed it would be demolished to make room for the 6,139-square-foot Sheetz, a dozen gas pumps and parking.

Much of the existing, L-shaped shopping center would be demolished. A portion just over 8,000 square feet, which currently includes a laundromat, would remain on a separate parcel.

Council will vote on the subdivision, the Sheetz land development plan and two conditional uses — for the gas station and a drive-thru.

No residents spoke during a public hearing on the conditional uses Wednesday.

Ryan Wotus, an attorney with Goldberg, Kamin & Garven representing Sheetz, said the development meets or exceeds the borough’s requirements. The borough’s planning commission had recommended approval.

In detailing the site plan, Jonathan Garczewski, a project manager with Gateway Engineers, said the store would have two access points: a right turn in, right turn out only on Golden Mile Highway and full access from Presque Isle Drive.

A drive-thru would have two pickup windows. There would be six fuel islands with pumps on each side for a total of 12.

The new store would be about a mile away from an existing Sheetz on Golden Mile Highway at Pine Valley Drive. As planned, Garczewski said the new store is about 2,000 square feet larger.

The existing Sheetz opened in December 1991. Size is a major factor in building the new store, Sheetz spokesman Nick Ruffner said.

“As a company, we often relocate stores due to several factors which impact our ability to deliver on our mission of being the ultimate one-stop shop such as store size, lot changing traffic patterns, the ability to increase our offerings such as the ability to add a carwash, drive-thru and more,” he said.

Although Plum Council in April 2021 approved the transfer of a liquor license to the existing store, it does not sell alcohol. A spokesman for the state Liquor Control Board said there is no record of a license for the store.

Sheetz representatives did not address plans for alcohol sales at the new store.

Ruffner said there is no timeline for the construction or opening of the new store.

The existing store will remain open until the new location opens.

About 20 people work at the existing store; the new one will employ about 30, Ruffner said. Those already employed will be offered jobs at the new location.

Altoona-based Sheetz has more than 670 locations in six states: Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.