City planning commission to review plans for Latrobe Sheetz store update

Sheetz is planning an update and reconstruction next year of its convenience store at Route 982 and Ligonier Street in Latrobe.

The city’s planning commission is expected to review plans for the project at its July 1 meeting, but council members got an early look during their session this week.

Code enforcement officer Dan Weimer said there would be no change in traffic access at the store. A preliminary plan shows access along Route 982 would continue to be restricted to right-in, right-out turns, while an additional entrance along Ligonier Street would continue to provide for left turns.

A reshaped store measuring 6,139 square feet would be augmented by a reconfigured drive-thru lane along the east wall and would have indoor and outdoor seating. Fuel pump islands would be reduced in number from seven to five, serving up to 10 vehicles at a given time.

“The building itself will be a little bit bigger, but they’re sacrificing some parking spaces,” said Weimer. “Every 15 to 20 years they revamp, tear down and reopen.”

Sheetz regularly rebuilds its stores to enhance customer convenience, according to the company’s public relations manager, Nick Ruffner.

Some lighting and signage changes are proposed, which might require city zoning board approval, Weimer said. An accompanying car wash also will be updated.

Weimer said Sheetz officials first discussed the proposed store update with him in April. He said the Altoona-based company plans to demolish the existing store to make way for the new structure.

The store is slated to close next spring, with reconstruction expected to occur over about five months, according to Ruffner. During the closure, employees at the Latrobe store will be offered positions at other nearby Sheetz locations.

The Sheetz store on Greensburg’s Harvey Avenue was closed for reconstruction from October through early April. The store gained a more open indoor layout and outdoor seating but also saw a reduction in the number of fuel pumps.

The Latrobe store opened in 2008 and was remodeled in 2018 to allow for sales of alcoholic beverages, under a state liquor license transferred from adjacent Unity . The requirements of the license included addition of some indoor seating.