SLIPPERY ROCK — Borough council on Tuesday continued discussions related to vacating two alleys to Sheetz for the construction of its new store.

James McCormick, a lawyer representing Sheetz, said the two alleys, School Street and Legion Alley, will need to be vacated by the borough for the project to continue.

“It's a rather involved project. There are a lot of moving parts,” McCormick said.

The new Sheetz will be at the corner of Main and Franklin streets. It will replace the current store at Main and Cooper streets. The complex will be on 1.245 acres encompassing seven properties. Sheetz has submitted a land development plan and a lot consolidation plan to the borough.

The property will encompass parts of School Street and Legion Alley, and will require tearing down the former Slippery Rock Pregnancy Center and Sevin's Tire. The store will be 6,893 square feet. The property will include 39 parking spaces.

The property will have four traffic entrances: two on Main Street, one on Franklin Street and one off School Street and Legion Alley.

In the northeast corner of the property, School Street and Legion Alley intersect. Sheetz is proposing that those portions of the streets remain public right-of-ways while remaining Sheetz property.

“We're open to suggestions,” McCormick said.

Borough solicitor Neva Stanger said there were concerns about being able to tell where Sheetz property ends and borough property begins on the alleys.

“It's a distinction without meaning at this point,” Stanger said.

She also wondered whether or not it would be necessary for the borough to vacate additional portions of the alleys to Sheetz.

David Mastrostefano, engineering and permit project manager for Sheetz, said Sheetz would take care of issues such as paving and snow removal on the right-of-way portions.

“We would maintain this area,” Mastrostefano said.

He said that the right-of-ways on Sheetz property likely would have to be repaved due to poor paving conditions.

Council member Christy Tichy said if the borough vacates the alleys, they would be open now. But she was concerned about the possibility of Sheetz closing the alleys to through traffic.

McCormick said it is not likely that Sheetz would close those.

“It is in Sheetz's interest to keep those open,” McCormick said.

He said the borough could make it a condition in Sheetz's land development that the alleys must remain open if they are concerned.