Popeyes restaurant OK’d by Butler Twp. commissioners
BUTLER TWP — Commissioners approved the construction of a Popeyes restaurant at 100 Alameda Plaza off New Castle Road at a Monday meeting, pending a few contingencies.
Josh Scanlon, project manager for Gateway Engineers, the engineer for the project, said the builders plan to landscape some of the area surrounding the planned restaurant, including some islands of rock in the grass between the street and the parking lot.
According to Scanlon, the development will also add green space.
“With this development, we are creating a tenth-of-an-acre of green space,” Scanlon said. “With that, it takes us into exemption from stormwater management requirements because we are creating green space. We are not creating any additional asphalt (area).”
There are also only about 10 parking spaces planned to be constructed alongside the restaurant, but Scanlon said the company, Butler Chicken LLC, expects about 80% of business to come via the drive-thru.
Scanlon said construction could begin in early spring, with a completion time for the restaurant expected to take approximately four to five months.
“Everything is pretty much in order with their plan,” said Jesse Hines, township zoning officer.
The commissioners also approved a land development request by the Family Bowlaway, to add outdoor restrooms for outdoor activity to take place at the venue. The business will cut down on some parking spaces to accommodate the outdoor seating.
The Family Bowlaway began having outdoor seating in 2020 when indoor activity was kept to a minimum because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Township solicitor Rebecca Black said the Family Bowlaway was granted a variance that allows the business to cut down on parking spaces from 184 to 134. The township commissioners expressed concern with getting fire equipment into the area.
“As long as they account for 134 spaces, they essentially comply with our ordinance,” Black said. “Those issues can’t be a basis for your decision.”
Hines said the township adopted a resolution during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to allow restaurants to have outdoor seating, which the Family Bowlaway took advantage of by installing 10 cabanas in its parking lot.
Monday’s approval from the township commissioners would allow permanent use of the outdoor seating under the cabanas.
“We were under that emergency declaration allowing outdoor seating; we are still under that,” Hines said. “What they would like to do is continue to have this area for outdoor seating.”
