A new GetGo fueling station is under construction at 1250 Chartiers Ave. The finished site will include 12 fuel pumps and a convenience store licensed to sell alcohol for use on and off premises.-McKEES ROCKS-
By Jamie Wiggan
Council has approved a liquor license transfer request allowing a new GetGo site under construction near the five-points intersection in McKees Rocks to serve alcohol for on- and off-site consumption.
Council voted 6-1 in favor of the request, with Councilmember Liz Delgado providing the lone no vote, and councilmembers Sarah Harvey and Chas Maritz absent from the meeting.
The vote authorized the transfer of an existing license owned by parent company Giant Eagle to the address of the new site at 1250 Chartiers Ave.
Mark Kozar, a lawyer representing Giant Eagle, told council the gas station would have an on-site dining area where beer would be sold for consumption on and off the premises and wine would be sold for take-out purposes only.
Beer sales will be limited to the hours of 6 a.m. – 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to Kozar. Wine sales must cease at 11 p.m. daily in accordance with state law.
Kozar told council GetGo has a robust training program for all employees charged with selling alcohol.
Before the vote was approved, several residents spoke out against the license transfer from the floor.
Former councilmember Maribeth Taylor said the GetGo development posed similar environmental threats to McKees Rocks as a construction plan being pursued by the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) which the borough is attempting to block through litigation.
“This council has approved $20,000-plus to spend on the ALCOSAN project to stop it,” Taylor said.
“This denial wouldn’t cost the borough a denial.”
School Board President Samantha Levitzki-Wright protested that Giant Eagle had denied resident requests that the new store carry a range of fresh produce, so council should in turn deny the license transfer request.
David Flick, the town’s Democratic Mayoral nominee, argued the community is already flush with liquor vendors and doesn’t need another.
“We don’t really need any more opportunities to buy booze and such,” he said.
Bus shelters
New bus shelters are set to be installed at stops on Chartiers Avenue and Helen Street through Port Authority’s Bus Shelter Program.
According to Mayor Jack Muhr, shelters currently in place near the intersections of Chartiers Avenue and Margaret Street, and Helen and Ella streets, are both in need of maintenance work, which he said he communicated to Port Authority about two years ago.
After many months of silence, Muhr said he recently heard from a Port Authority representative who confirmed the two stops qualified for the program and would be replaced pending the completion of necessary paperwork.
“That would be a big plus,” said Muhr.
Muhr said the Helen-Ella stop sits on property belonging to St. Mary Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and the borough would therefore need permission from the congregation to approve the shelter replacement.
Muhr said several attempts to reach the priest had proved unsuccessful, putting the project at risk of delay.
In other borough news:
• Council approved an amendment to the borough’s zoning ordinance that had previously prohibited all forms of mural art. The modified ordinance now permits murals when considered to qualify for beautification purposes.
• Council approved demolition bids for five condemned properties. Bids totaling $52,000 by Minniefield Demolition Service of West Mifflin were approved for 207 Jane St., 243 Marion St., and 405, 407, 411 Island Avenue. Because the borough’s request did not attract more than one bidder, engineer Doug Evans of NIRA Consulting Engineers said it’s possible Allegheny County will require a repeat of the bidding process.
• Council approved an amendment to its outdoor vending ordinance to clarify stipulations for food trucks.
• Council approved an amendment to the parking ordinance to prohibit parking on McDonalds Way.