The Fresh Market will open its first store in western Pennsylvania.

Mt. Lebanon commissioners gave final approval with a unanimous vote earlier this week for the gourmet supermarket chain to demolish the old Roth Carpet store on the corner of Route 19 and Connor Road and construct a new building.

The Fresh Market representatives have said that construction will begin as soon as possible.

The Fresh Market's application had been under consideration since last summer. Mt. Lebanon officials had concerns about traffic.

Two new driveways will be built along Connor Road. One driveway will be exit-only. Traffic will be prohibited from making a left turn from the main entrance point from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends.

The developer must conduct a one-year follow-up study summarizing the operation of the driveways and the left turn restriction. The study will review all crashes at the site driveways to determine if a crash pattern has developed that would be cause to revise the assess plan for the site. The report must be submitted to Mt. Lebanon officials and PennDOT.

The developer was also given permission to reconfigure the parking lot to create 98 parking spaces that it will share with the JoS. A. Banks store next door. The Mt. Lebanon zoning ordinance would have limited parking to 55 spaces.

Trader Joe's is less than half a mile down on Route 19 from the new The Fresh Market location.

Cranberry Patch readers have expressed their desires for a Fresh Market and a Trader Joe's in this area. Would you travel to the South Hills to shop at these grocery stores? Where would the perfect location be in Cranberry for a Fresh Market? Tell us in the comment section below!