Jason Fritz, Executive Vice President of Development for Sullivan Wickley makes a presentation to W.C. Planning Commission
(Cleveland)-A proposed new Dollar General Store in an agricultural area of White County has no backing of local citizens. That’s what the White County Planning Commission found out Monday night. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on the request by SW West Cleveland to redistrict the property at 0 Ed Lewis Road from R-1 Residential to C-1 Community Commercial District.
Jason Fritz, Executive Vice President of Development for Sullivan Wickley an Atlanta-based company who specialize in acquiring, developing, leasing, and managing real estate assets. Fritz said they have been developing Dollar General Stores for 15 years.
They propose to develop and lease out to Dollar General what he called DG Mini Market, it’s a new type of Dollar General store with 10,600 square foot retail space offering regular Dollar General items as well as fresh produce and meats.
Fritz told the commission that Dollar General saw a void of service in this area and that is the reason they wanted to build the store there. None of the around 60 citizens who attended the meeting were in support of the project. Most expressed concern about traffic and safety along busy Highway 115.
Ed Lewis Road resident Chuck Gilreath speaking to White County Planning Commission
Resident Chuck Gilreath, owns property next to the proposed site which has been agriculture for over 100 years said, “ Putting a DG in a rural area like that in between two residential houses that access off 115 is not a good scenario.”
He asked the commission, “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?”
“We will make a recommendation next week to the commissioners, I guess one thing that surprised me a little bit tonight was we had nobody to speak in favor of Dollar General, everyone that spoke was in opposition and that was a little surprising, commented Planning Commission Chairman Charlie Thomas.
The planning commission will meet on April 1, at 6 PM in the White County Senior Center to vote on this issue.
To: Mr. Charlie Thomas,
Apparently, none of you sitting behind your table had bothered to get out and talk to the citizens of this neighborhood. I don’t know exactly what y’all hope to benefit from this (except as you say taxes). But a little honest shoe leather and interaction with your fellow citizens, never hurt.
I hope that the county commissioners listen to the citizens and realize that our community and neighborhood don’t need a dollar general of any kind. These stores and their business practices aren’t good for communities and neighborhoods. I really hope that they DO NOT VOTE this in we do not want it
We hope they heard us. No one ever visited with us and asked how would we feel about such. Help us to stop this.
We personally Do Not Want This near our house. We don’t need it when we have 2 miles down the road The Tomato House, who has fresh vegetables and can goods with your fresh meat personally cut for you. Plus if we want to just go on down the road you have a Dollar General and a Gas Station. None of us will give our right away for anyone to widen Ed Lewis Road. Question: Would You Want something like this being put 200 Feet from your front Door. I think not. We don’t need anymore noise in the neighborhood. So help us put a stop to this.
I didn’t get the opportunity to speak at the meeting as time was limited per the meeting protocol. I would have added my support for those opposing the DG for the reasons of increased traffic on Ed Lewis (a dirt road) safety with turning off of 115W and generally the addition of a commercial/retail business that would change the character of our neighborhood community (and not in a good way). We were able to collect 200 signatures on a petition opposing the change from R-1 to C-1 . Plus, there is no guarantee that if DG came in, they would stay, especially with the difficulty in keeping employees. They can close down and leave an eyesore.
SAY NO TO REZONING TO ACCOMODATE ANOTHER DG
According to White County Code Section 1902, the Planning Commission has the authority and responsibility to “review, investigate and recommend actions to the county commissioners concerning applicants and to conduct public hearings.” The review and investigation by the Planning Commission was CUT SHORT LAST NIGHT. Even adjacent property owners were deprived of their right to speak at the hearing. There did not appear to be any reason for cutting the meeting short and not allowing the people their right to due process.
It pays to be pro-active and speak up!!!
Lillian, It is important to speak up but this rodeo is not over.as the Planning Committee merely votes on a recommendation. The deciding vote will come from the county commissioners, who have shown their bent toward commercial development. Very recently many spoke up at the hearing regarding the short-term rental amendments and were ignored. Also Lucille’s mountain top was highly opposed by the locals, and the commercial project was passed over those many objections. As a neighboring property owner stated during the March 25 Planning Commission hearing, if this commercial development continues, White County will no longer be rural. As has been seen elsewhere, that quality of life will disappear.and you’ll never get it back.
Thank you Dean Dyer for honest and accurate reporting. Hopefully the Planning Committee listened to the voices of White County residents rather than corporate money. Hopefully the Board of Commissioners will make their decision based on the wishes of the people.
The quality of life is already disappearing.
If these commissioners have their way, we will soon like every other area of metro Atlanta. It will all look the same.
Rest assured, soon we will be hearing about “Live Work Play”, high-density housing in Cleveland and Helen, and other catchy slogans to increase the population density of our county.
“Fritz told the commission that Dollar General saw a void of service in this area and that is the reason they wanted to build the store there.”
The Planning Commission needs to pull up a map of the area and all the Dollar Generals within ten miles of this location.
Does it really look like there is a void?
Do we really need a Dollar General every five miles?
The residents already know this answer. We’ll soon see if the Planning knows the answer very soon.
Don’t forget to vote! 3 of the commissioners are up for reelection, including the commission chairman.