Blair Township OKs parking waiver for proposed Dollar General, tables final plan

The Blair Township Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 13 to approve a waiver reducing the required number of parking spaces for a proposed Dollar General at 16474 Dunnings Highway from 54 to 35, but tabled the store’s preliminary site plan until outstanding engineering review items are addressed.

Engineer Eric Banks of Stiffler McGraw told the board the developer’s designer provided a letter explaining the reduced parking request, noting industry studies showing fewer than half of spaces are typically used at many Dollar General locations and a layout change increased the proposal from 33 to 35 spaces. Banks said that explanation satisfied him and recommended granting the waiver while tabling the plan for additional submissions or waivers to address outstanding review comments dated June 28, 2024.

Supervisor Lou Lusk moved to approve the parking-waiver request and to table the overall plan; Chairman Paul Amigh seconded both motions and both passed by unanimous vote. The board’s motion to table leaves the municipal review period ending Oct. 12, 2024 as the deadline for the developer to resubmit documents or request additional waivers.

Why it matters: A parking-waiver can reduce pavement and stormwater impacts but may raise concerns about customer access and spillover parking on nearby streets. The board’s tabling preserves the township’s ability to require changes while allowing the applicant to respond to technical review comments.

Next steps: The developer must address Stiffler McGraw’s outstanding comments or request additional waivers and resubmit plans before the municipal review period expires.