Giant to have fuel pumps at new Walnutport location

Giant Food Store has been granted a green light to have new fuel stations once it opens at its new location in Walnutport.

On a 6-0 vote, borough council on Thursday granted preliminary/final approval to Giant Fuels conditioned upon meeting the comments in the Spotts, Stevens and McCoy letter dated April 11.

Councilwoman Joan Rehrig was absent.

Before the vote, borough engineer Jason Newhard noted that the borough’s planning commission recommended council grant the approval.

In a related matter, council also granted waivers concerning the submission of a separate stormwater management plan since the area being developed is already an impervious area, as well as for allowing submission of the preliminary/final plan.

Several representatives from Giant attended the meeting, and were welcomed by council members who told them they were eager for the store to open.

Giant Food Stores announced last month the company will construct six new stores, one of which will be in the building at 300 S. Best Ave., which most recently served as a Pathmark store.

The store is anticipated to open in 2019.

In July 2015, grocery store chain A&P, which also operates Pathmark and Super Fresh stores in the area, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and planned to close or sell off stores due to heightened competition.

As part of that decision, 25 stores closed, one of which was the store at 300 S. Best Ave. in Walnutport.

The building had previously housed a Super Fresh supermarket, and before that, a Kmart.