Apr 18, 2018 2 min read

WAYNESBURG – Greene County will be running on Dunkin’ soon.

Plans for construction of a Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant on property in front of Greene Plaza received conditional approval Monday by the Franklin Township Planning Commission.

The restaurant, which is proposed to be built adjacent to the Taco Bell Restaurant, is being developed by the Heartland Restaurant Group, a company that has developed about 50 Dunkin’ Donuts throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. This will be the company’s first restaurant in Greene County.

“We’re looking forward to developing down here and believe this will be a good site,” said Dan Orie, Heartland vice president.

Orie described the 2,000-square-foot restaurant as a “prototypical” Dunkin’ Donuts with full service and a drive-through window. The entrance to the restaurant will be from the lane that runs through Greene Plaza, which also provides access to the Taco Bell and Wendy’s Restaurant.

A review of the site plans by the township engineer, Richard Rush, had noted a number of requirements that would have to be met before final approval could be granted.

The company’s engineer, Dave Neill of EADS Group, addressed each of the conditions, which covered features ranging from storm water management to lighting and signage.

The planning commission agreed to grant conditional approval to the plans, which will now be forwarded to the township supervisors. The supervisors could act on the plans at their next meeting April 23.

After the company meets all the conditions, or requirements, noted by the township engineer, it can apply for a building permit to begin work.

Orie said the company hopes to have the restaurant opened by December. The 0.552 acres of land where the restaurant will be built is part of the Greene Plaza subdivision that once was supposed to be the site of an Applebee’s restaurant before those plans were scrapped.

The property was earlier the proposed site of an Applebee’s Restaurant. That restaurant, which would have been much larger than the Dunkin Donuts, was eventually shelved partly because of size of the lot and the lack of space for parking.