Drive-thru only Starbucks could be coming to Pine

The Pine board of supervisors voted to approve Starbucks’ application for a conditional use agreement during a public hearing at the Jan. 17 meeting.

A conditional use agreement is a use of property permitted as long as the applicant can meet the explicit criteria contained in the zoning ordinance for that particular use. Starbucks requests conditional use for a reduction in parking, seeking a net decrease of 13 parking spaces. The proposed Starbucks location is at 120 Town Centre Blvd. in the Village of Pine, formerly a Sonic restaurant.

Bill Moldovan of consulting firm Kimley Horn was present at the meeting representing Starbucks. He clarified that the building itself would only be undergoing a reconfiguration — there will be no new additions, only interior improvements. The proposed Starbucks will be drive-thru only (DTO), with no indoor or outdoor seating areas available. This development will be among the first DTO Starbucks stores in the area. Patrons will have the option to park and pick up their order inside the 200-square-foot foyer as well.

Courtesy of Pine Township

The proposed site plan for the new Starbucks in the Village of Pine.

Board of supervisors vice-chairman Pat Avolio raised concerns about traffic flow, citing problems at the two existing Starbucks stores nearby on Perry Highway and in McCandless.

“I do drive that and traffic is backing up onto the street. As I further understand from my friends in McCandless, there’s another one further south,” he said.

The motion made to approve the conditional use agreement for a reduction in parking passed unanimously.

In other business, the board of supervisors also made a motion to approve the maintenance agreement associated with the Green Light Go (GLG) Grant for the Route 19 Corridor Signalization Improvement Project. GLG is a competitive state grant program designed to improve the efficiency and operation of existing traffic signals in PA.