Sheetz plans to convert the Shoenberger mansion at the Sarah Furnace property near Claysburg into a bed and breakfast for out-of-town staff, according to plans submitted to the Blair County Planning Commission Thursday. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Sheetz plans to convert the 1832 Shoenberger mansion in Sproul into a bed and breakfast for out-of-town staff, according to plans submitted for review to the Blair County Planning Commission.

The company’s plans for the historic Sarah Furnace property were unveiled Thursday when planners gave a positive review for the project.

Sheetz purchased the property from Harbison Walker International in 2020 and announced its intentions earlier this year to restore the buildings, which include a 21-room mansion and a barn large enough to house 54 mules — used for transporting iron ore from Ore Hill in Sproul in the 1800s. Many of the buildings are about 190 years old.

The property, at the intersection of Dunnings Highway and Quarry Road, is along the road that leads to the Sheetz complex at the Walter Industrial Park.

According to the proposal presented to the commission, Sheetz plans to convert the existing barn into a private meeting and corporate event center while converting the mansion into a bed and breakfast for Sheetz out-of-town staff.

The proposal also includes the construction of an estimated 6,600-square-foot addition to the existing barn to add a space for culinary preparation for events as well as an accessible entrance. Additionally, a rooftop deck and outdoor pavilion are included with this expansion, said MacKenzie Caron, community planner.

Demolition of existing fencing, landscaping and a small outbuilding are proposed prior to the redevelopment of the property, Caron said.

Access to the site will be through a new 26-foot-wide paved bidirectional drive off Dunnings Highway with 20- to 25-foot-wide drive aisles throughout. Additional access to the site will be through a 22-foot-wide paved bidirectional drive off Quarry Road with 20- to 25-foot-wide drive aisles throughout as well, Caron said.

Proposed parking includes three separate paved parking lots, a 54-foot-long shuttle bus parking and loading area and designated grass overflow parking. Site plans include 113 paved parking spaces, including five Americans with Disabilities Act accessible parking spaces. Overflow parking is proposed in designated grass areas, which can hold 93 additional cars, Caron said.

Paved 5-foot-wide walking paths are proposed throughout the property, which should not only improve connectivity and accessibility at the site but also lend in the preservation of its historic agrarian nature, Caron said.

Caron also said landscaping plans provided with the proposal include landscaped infiltration berms and meadow-seeded rain gardens, as well as various trees and shrubs throughout the property, which should not only make for an attractive site but improve the overall bioretention of the soil.

Sheetz officials previously said building design should wrap up this fall with construction work expected to begin in late spring 2024.