Blair County Planning Commission approves proposal for new Long John Silver’s restaurant

Plans call for demolition of old restaurant, new build at same site

Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday reviewed plans for construction of a new Long John Silver's restaurant at 522 W. Plank Road in Logan Township.

Trinity Holdings Inc. is proposing the demolition of the existing restaurant and drive-thru facilities in favor of the construction of a new 2,550-square-foot restaurant with drive-thru window, updated parking and a sidewalk along West Plank Road.

The property is zoned as Business District and because the use of the site will not change, this remains a permitted use under Logan Township's Zoning Ordinance, regional planner MacKenzie Caron said.

Most of the site is within the 100-year floodplain. Because this project comes with an overall decrease in impervious surface cover by approximately 30%, runoff as a result of the development should be managed by existing stormwater systems.

Access to the site appears to remain the same, a 24-foot-wide bidirectional ingress and right-turn-

only egress along West Plank Road as well as a bidirectional easement that opens into the adjacent shopping plaza. The plan includes overall traffic circulation improvements in the parking lot which should alleviate existing site access congestion from the main thoroughfare, Caron said.

The project also includes sidewalk connections along West Plank Road.

"The inclusion of the sidewalks is extremely appreciated," Caron said. "There are no existing sidewalks in this area and this will make the corridor much safer to access."

President Todd Lewis was not sure if the sidewalk is a good idea.

"I do not see the benefit of a sidewalk not accessible to the left or right side," Lewis said. "It could be a sidewalk to nowhere."

"According to the comprehensive plan, this is actually encouraged," Caron said.

"I will agree with the sidewalk, you have to start some place," member Don Delozier said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.