New Kensington, Pennsylvania Reviews Proposal for Valvoline Location

New Kensington, Pennsylvania is looking to open a new Valvoline Instant Oil Change location, TribLive reports.

Located along Tarentum Bridge Road, the city council approved the creation of the lot, measuring three-fifths of an acre, back in May 2022.

Placed in front of a Quality Inn hotel and between a Giant Eagle grocery store and Shamey’s Gas Station, 60% of the land came from Giant Eagle, with the rest coming from Quality Inn. It includes a parking area and a short access road between the hotel and Shamey’s Gas Station.

The area is zoned as a commercial property but requires special exception use approvals for both drive-thru and automotive uses. New Kensington’s zoning hearing board will review the project next month. 

If they approve it, it will go to the city’s planning commission, which in turn will make a recommendation to the city council. The council then makes a final decision on whether the project abides with the city’s design guidelines.

The facility will come with 10 parking spots lined up against the gas station’s property, with three service bays and room for two vehicles to wait in each line. The closest other Valvoline location would be twenty minutes away in Buffalo Township.

The neighboring gas station also houses a full-service garage that offers oil changes and other automotive services. Its owner, Joe Shamey, isn’t concerned with losing business, though. Despite other nearby businesses performing oil changes, he’s received steady work after almost six decades of being in business, attesting to the continuing demand for oil change facilities.

“There’s enough business for everybody,” remarked Shamey.