Trader Joe's Wants To Open Store In South Hills

UPPER ST. CLAIR (KDKA) -- Trader Joe's may open a second location in the Pittsburgh area.

Upper St. Clair Township Manager Matt Serakowski says the popular specialty grocer has picked a site off Route 19 just south of Mt. Lebanon for its second store.

"Trader Joe's presently has an application before the Board of Commissioners for a conditional use approval," he said. "They would like to move in to what is known as the Pier One Building on Washington Road."

The township commissioners need to approve the conditional use the store has requested.

"Trader Joe's has informed us that deliveries are typically taken at 5 a.m. in the morning," Serakowski said. "Under the township code, the earliest you can take deliveries adjacent to a residential district is 8 a.m."

While the new location is in a commercial strip, it sits below a residential area in Upper St. Clair where the noise from trucks could be annoying.

"The backup devices, the lift gates, the manpower delivering that, there is concern there will be noise generated by that," Serakowski explained.

He says Trader Joe's hopes to mitigate that noise.

Upper St. Clair commissioners will meet on Jan. 3 when Trader Joe's is expected to submit their noise mitigation plans.

Residents will have another chance to voice their views.

If the commission approves, the store could be open before the end of 2011.