Petition circulated to stop construction of Dollar General in Upper Burrell - TribLIVE

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Although they know their efforts might be futile, residents who live near the site of a planned Dollar General store along Route 780 near Dewey Drive, Upper Burrell, are signing a petition to stop the construction of the discount store.

“It’s going to change the country feeling of the neighborhood that is noncommercial here,” said Diane Chabal, a resident of Dewey Drive who is circulating a petition.

Although the neighborhood fronts Route 780, most of land is in area zoned residential. However the vacant lot for the store has been zoned commercial for decades and as well as a nearby gas station with a small store.

But the proposed store will sit in the front yard of three homes where residents have lived for decades, Chabal said.

Her petition, which asks Dollar General to stop the construction of its store, had 109 signatures as of Friday, said Chabal who is among five homeowners who lives near the site of the proposed store.

The township received the development plan for the proposed one-story, 7,500-square-foot store recently and there is nothing that can stop the development, said Steve Yakopec, township solicitor.

Although surrounded by residential property, the store site is zoned commercial so the developer is not asking for a variance or an exception that would create roadblocks, he said.

After other township officials review the project, the township’s planning commission will make a recommendation to the board of supervisors, who will provide final approval for the project, Yakopec said.

Without any hiccups, the store developer could clear all approvals and permits for the project by the beginning of 2021, said Dave Kerchner, township engineer.

Currently, Dollar General is in the due diligence phase for a new location at Seventh Street Road” and plans to make a final decision about the store in summer 2021, said Angela Petkovic, a Dollar General spokeswoman.

Dollar General wants to be a positive business partner and a good community neighbor, she said.

“We believe the addition of a new Dollar General store to the New Kensington community would represent positive economic growth within the community,” Petkovic said.

Although it is located in Upper Burrell, the store’s address uses a New Kensington ZIP code.

The new store could employ about six to 10 workers, she said.

Supervisors Chairman Ross Walker encouraged residents to approach Dollar General representatives with their concerns during the township supervisors meeting on Wednesday. Walker and others suggested they attend the township’s planning commission meeting on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. to present their petition. “Bring extra copies for everyone,” Walker said.

Mary Ann Thomas is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Mary at 724-226-4691, mthomas@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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