A proposed Dollar General store in an agricultural area of White County has met with criticism from residents, who say they are concerned about traffic and safety.
The store, Dollar General Mini Market, is a new type of Dollar General store that will offer regular Dollar General items, as well as fresh produce, and meats.
On Monday night, a public hearing was held to discuss the proposal, which would see the property on Ed Lewis Road redistricted from R-1 Residential to C-1 Community Commercial District.
Jason Fritz, Executive Vice President of Development for Sullivan Wickley, an Atlanta-based company, testified before the planning commission that the area currently lacks adequate grocery store services, which is why they were looking to build the store at that location.
I don’t know who’s going to holler the loudest because it don’t smell too good when I put fertilizer on my pasture.” – Chuck Gilreath, landowner opposed to DG Mini Market
However, none of the around 60 citizens in attendance were in support of the project. The majority of those who spoke out expressed concerns about traffic and safety on busy Highway 115.
No one spoke in favor of proposal
Chuck Gilreath, a resident of Ed Lewis Road, told the commission that the proposed store would be a bad addition to the area.
“Putting a DG in a rural area like that in between two residential houses that access off 115 is not a good scenario,” Gilreath said.
He continued, “Who’s going to holler the loudest when I put fertilizer on my pasture? Is it going to be DG, or is it going to be the Browns? I don’t know who’s going to holler the loudest because it don’t smell too good when I put fertilizer on my pasture.”
“I guess one thing that surprised me a little bit tonight was we had nobody to speak in favor of Dollar General,” commented Planning Commission Chairman Charlie Thomas. “Everyone that spoke was in opposition and that was a little surprising.”
The White County Planning Commission must still vote whether to recommend Wickley’s redistricting request to the county commission. The planning commission will decide that during its next meeting at 6 p.m. on April 1 at the White County Senior Center.
