An illustration showing the planned exterior for a 12,480 square-foot Dollar General Market at 7778 State Road 252 in Edinburgh. Plan commission members voted to issue an unfavorable recommendation after hearing a proposal to rezone land for the store.
ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY TOWN OF EDINBURGH
A rezoning proposal requested to open a DG Market on State Road 252 in Edinburgh wasn’t warmly received by nearby residents or the plan commission Tuesday.
DG Market is a grocery store concept from Dollar General. The proposed Edinburgh store would be 12,480 square-feet and include a full line of groceries and household items, even fresh meat and produce. It would be larger than the existing Edinburgh Dollar General and the next closest location in Flat Rock, petitioner representatives said at the Edinburgh Plan Commission meeting Tuesday.
The rezoning proposal is for 3.7 acres at 7778 E. State Road 252 currently owned by Daniel Rooks. The proposal would change zoning of the property from suburban residential, or R-1, to RB roadside business. The store would be bordered to the west by Edinburgh Family Dentistry, and residential property to the north, east and south.
About 25 nearby residents attended the meeting, with many turning out to remonstrate against the proposal, saying they didn’t want the extra traffic, or to live next to a Dollar General. After hearing from residents, the commission gave a decisive 9-1 vote Tuesday for an unfavorable recommendation to the town council. The commission continued other petitions related to the property until the town council decides on the rezone at a future meeting.
Mike Miller, who lives across the street from the proposed store, said he feels like the Pixar movie “Up” is happening in Edinburgh.
“I feel like the old man in ‘Up,’ where I’m in my house and everything is being built around me,” Miller said. “I moved to this town to start my family and if this is put up across from my home, I’m going to move. It’s not fair to have to raise my kids and they look out the window and see a dollar store.”
Nearby resident Raymond Burton was concerned about property values and quality of life living next to a store.
“I don’t buy it from anyone this won’t lower the (property) value,” Burton said. “Trucks will be running in and out, dumpsters will be running in and out and traffic will increase on the road. People will be coming off the interstate looking for a gas station, anything, and all night long headlights will be flashing through our windows. It’s not in the best interest of our city.”
Commission members including Stephanie Taylor also spoke against the proposal. Taylor said a Dollar General is not a good gateway to the town.
“I’ve been in the town for 40 years and I don’t think that’s what we want at the (State Road) 252 entrance to the town,” Taylor said. “It’s a beautiful entrance and we need something, but I can’t support that.”
Not everyone was opposed to the development.
Rooks, the property owner, said he thinks the development would be good for the neighborhood.
“I’m not trying to do this to hurt you guys. I tried to sell it before but the person backed out, and a real estate guy came to me and said someone was interested in buying,” Rooks said. “I think this would benefit that side of town.”
Judith Hill, a nearby resident, said she welcomes the store.
“The store on (U.S.) 31 has an awful lot of problems, they don’t keep it up. The store in Flat Rock is wonderful inside. It’s amazing. I have a lot of neighbors who couldn’t come, but they’re excited too,” she said.
Plan Commission member Ron Hoffman was the sole plan commission member in favor of the rezone, and he said it would help the town develop.
Interim Town Manager Wade Watson, who is also the town’s planning director, said he doesn’t believe the store would bring in much non-local traffic.
“Our investigation is a dollar store is not a destination location. People from Flat Rock and Columbus won’t drive to Edinburgh to shop at this location,” Watson said. “We probably won’t see additional traffic in the community. Instead, it will be folks who are already here.”
The town council will have the final say on the proposal. The agenda for the town council’s Monday meeting isn’t set, so it is unclear if it will be on the agenda at this time, Watson said. The council will need to hold two readings for the proposal and would vote at the second meeting following a public hearing.
If the town council decides to approve the rezone, the plan commission would vote on the site plan for the store at a future meeting, Watson said.
