[P]OULTNEY — A local board has rejected a developer’s application for a retail store that drew opposition from residents concerned about a Dollar General opening at the site.
It’s the latest setback for plans to open outlets of the discount retailer in Rutland County. This spring, a different developer withdrew plans to open a Dollar General store in Pittsford after concerns were raised in that town over traffic and pedestrian safety.
His attorney, Karl Anderson, of Rutland, could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
Vermont has more than 30 Dollar General discount retail stores.
In Pittsford, the possibility of a store locating in town led some residents to post signs in their front yards that read, “We Don’t Want Your Dollar General.” Two Dollar General stores are within 10 miles of Pittsford, both in Rutland.
Poultney is also not far from a Dollar General store, with three within a roughly 10 miles radius. They are in Fair Haven as well as just over the New York border in Whitehall and Granville.
The proposal for a Dollar General store in town led to the formation of a group, Concerned Citizens of Poultney, opposing the plan. Also, more than 500 people signed a statement saying they wouldn’t shop at a Dollar General in town.
“People here oppose the Dollar General for various reasons, but the most prevalent reason I found was a desire to protect local businesses that are well established and community-spirited from the competitive threat posed by dollar stores,” C.B. Hall, a group member, wrote in an email Wednesday.
“The second-most common reason was probably that the store would only hire a handful of workers, whereas an industrial enterprise, such as the property is zoned for, would hire many more, for better jobs.”
The proposal in Poultney called for Dollar General to move into the largest of four structures on a 1.76-acre parcel on Beaman Street. That roughly 10,000-square-foot building had been home to Vemas Corp., an electromechanical manufacturer no longer in operation.
In its decision, the town’s DRB did approve with conditions a woodworking operation as well as a Green Mountain College-directed “Renewable Energy Ecological Design” shop and classroom in two of the other buildings on the parcel.
However, the use of the largest building for a retail store was denied.
The board nixed the retail operation, in part, over the lack of such a mix of uses on a parcel in the town’s zoning regulations. In addition, the board cited the impacts a retail store would have on the surrounding neighborhood, from traffic to lighting.
An application for a permit for the retail store stated the building would undergo about $100,000 in renovations, including a new entrance.
Dollar General was not a listed party to the proceedings in Poultney. However, the DRB decision stated, “Based on the signage evidence submitted during the hearings and testimony provided through Applicant’s counsel, it is presumed that the tenant will operate a Dollar General retail store pending further agreements between the tenant and the Applicant.”
The applicant, according to the decision, couldn’t confirm a delivery schedule, but was “presumed” to be once a week by tractor-trailer, and several times a week by smaller trucks, including three times weekly for dairy products, five times weekly for beverage products, twice weekly for frozen food items and three times weekly for bread products.
Also, the applicant proposed moving one of the buildings, described as a historic barn, off the parcel to make room for parking and provide space for tractor-trailer deliveries, the decision read.
Parties have 30 days from the June 28 decision to file an appeal with the state environmental court. If no appeal is filed, the DRB decision will become final.
A news release issued by the Concerned Citizens of Poultney group stated that it believed such an appeal by the applicant, Poultney Properties, was “likely.”
