Auto parts store eyed at former WCCC site in Latrobe

An O’Reilly Auto Parts store is proposed to take the place of Westmoreland County Community College’s former Laurel Education Center in Latrobe.

City Council on Monday approved a land development plan for the proposed store at 17 Lloyd Ave., a point along Route 981 southwest of Loyalhanna Creek.

Work at the site could begin as early as next spring, according to developer Simon CRE of Scottsdale, Arizona.

O’Reilly is expected to employ between nine and 12 people at the roughly 7,200-square-foot store, according to project engineer Ryan Stroup of MDM Surveyors and Engineer of Warrendale.

According to its website, Missouri-based O’Reilly operates more than 5,500 stores in 47 states and has 35 locations in Pennsylvania, including stores in Greensburg, Irwin, New Kensington and Rostraver.

Mayor Rosie Wolford asked if the plan for the Latrobe store would increase green space compared to that bordering the shuttered education center.

Stroup pointed out the store’s planned 27 parking spaces already will be slightly below the usual minimum. He said O’Reilly stores “typically have 30 parking stalls. We wouldn’t want to reduce that more than it already is.”

The site plan calls for two rows of parking spaces between the store and Lloyd Avenue and two more rows on the opposite side of the building.

According to the developer, vehicles will access the store from a side street, Chambers Street, while trucks will load and unload off an adjoining alley. The developer wants to mill and repave the alley to smooth out a drop from Chambers Street.

Trucks are expected to deliver merchandise to the store about once per week.

City officials asked that any large company trucks arriving at the store make a right turn from northbound Route 981 rather than delaying southbound traffic while attempting to turn left into Chambers. “That would be a nightmare,” Wolford said.

A representative said the developer would comply with any PennDOT or city traffic requirements.

“We will do what we can to help you be successful,” Wolford told the developer.

College trustees early this year agreed to sell the former education center to Simon CRE for $410,000.

WCCC moved out of the Laurel Education Center in the fall of 2015, when it opened its new, larger Latrobe center across Loyalhanna Creek, at Depot and Jefferson streets.