The Butler Township zoning hearing board granted approval Wednesday for a fitness center to open in a vacant commercial property on New Castle Road.

The board granted a special exception requested by Bill Schroeder of Cocca Development of Boardman, Ohio, which owns the property at 271 New Castle Road that used to house Grand Rental Station, for a Burn Boot Camp Health Club and Fitness Center.

The gym owner, Jarrad Pencek of Cranberry Township, told the board that eight to 30 people would attend high intensity training classes led by personal trainers.

The 45-minute classes would run from 5 a.m. to 10:30 or 11 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Two morning sessions would be held on Saturdays, Pencek said.

Classes involve the use of ropes and medicine balls, and not heavy weightlifting equipment, he said.

Sound proofing will be installed to contain the sound of music that will be played during classes, he said.

Zoning officer Jesse Hines said fitness centers are permitted in a C-1 general commercial district, but the property is in a C-2 convenience commercial district.

The board granted a special exception for a comparable use not specifically listed, and told Pencek the business must be operating within 12 months.

In addition, the board granted Eat'n Park a 2-square-foot variance for a digital message board sign that will replace two of the three signs existing at the restaurant at 212-214 New Castle Road.

Eat'n Park representatives told the board that the sign bearing the restaurant name has been there since it opened in 1973, which board members said predates the zoning ordinance. That sign will remain in place, but two signs underneath it will be replaced by the digital sign.

Combined, the three signs measure 121 square feet, which exceeds the 100 square feet allowed by the zoning ordinance.

The digital sign and business name sign will measure 92 square feet combined, the representatives said.

The face of the digital sign is 18 square feet, but the ordinance allows 16 square feet.

The board granted a variance for difference in size.