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A new drive-through cafe with video gaming inside and signature wings from the 19th Hole to go is being planned for the former Spic & Span Dry Cleaners location along National Road in Wheeling.
A proposal for the redevelopment of 841 National Road was presented before the Development Committee of Wheeling City Council, which needed to give approval to the plan because of the lottery component of the proposed business and its proximity to schools, churches and residential areas in the busy commercial stretch along National Road in Woodsdale.
Dave Shriver of Action Gaming Inc. presented the plan to city officials. He was joined by representatives of the 19th Hole -- which is located across the street and just west of the site -- and of Northgate Contractors Inc. of Wheeling -- which is expected to construct the new building, along with Wheeling Building and Planning Director Brenda J. Delbert.
Shriver said Angie's 19th Hole in One Drive-Thru and Carryout Cafe will be operated by 19th Hole owner Angie Szalay.
"This will be just an addition," Szalay said, noting that the 19th Hole's main location will continue to operate across the street.
Delbert noted that the limited video lottery or LVL component to the location is key to the proposed business model. The building would house up to 10 gaming machines inside, along with a drive-through where motorists can quickly pick up various items.
"It is within 1,000 feet within pretty much everything -- residential, a couple of schools, a church and a couple of other LVL locations," she said. "However, staff still does not have an objection. It is on the National Road corridor. It's not directly adjacent to any of these other businesses, affecting the school or anything like that."
Because of this proximity to schools and churches within a 1,000-foot radius, the developer needed to give the green light to allow the gaming to be present there. No objections to the proposal were received, Delbert noted.
"Angie's going to run it -- and hopefully serve wings right out the window to go," Shriver said. "It's going to be cigarettes, beer, a drive-thru, LVL … coffee is going to be huge. We'll be pushing coffee like crazy."
Shriver indicated that Action Gaming Inc. has established a number of similar operations at different locations up and down the river, from Chester to New Martinsville, Paden City, Sistersville, Parkersburg and beyond. Drive-through cafes like Dan's I and Dan's II, Packey's, Curby's and the Stoney Cafe have all been successful. There has not yet been one of these establishments opened in the Wheeling area, however.
Delbert indicated that because of the small amount of square footage needed, the proposal may not have to go through a site plan approval from the Wheeling Planning Commission. However, because of its location along U.S. 40 -- some approvals will have to be received from the West Virginia Division of Highways before construction can begin. Officials also indicated that approval for beer sales will also need to be approved by the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.
City leaders supported the proposal, although some concerns were raised about the amount of traffic the drive-through may draw at the site.
"I'd like to make sure that we set this up so we don't have a bunch of cars on National Road waiting to turn right or left into this like we have in other parts of that area," said Ward 4 Councilman Jerry Sklavounakis, who represents the Woodsdale neighborhood where the proposed business will be located. "It gets very congested. That's probably one of the busier corridors in our community. So we need to make sure we do this right."