Public hearing held for new Dollar General in Bolivar
Approximately 15 people attended a Lawrence Township Board of Zoning Appeals hearing for Dollar General on April 19. While the hearing was regarding parking spaces at a new store being built, those in attendance lodged complaints about the current store’s lack of maintenance.
The Lawrence Township Board of Zoning Appeals held a hearing on Wednesday, April 19 to decide whether or not to approve a variance request by Dollar General to have fewer parking spaces at its new location than are required by the current zoning code.
Dollar General is planning to leave its current location on Ensley Drive and build a new store along state Route 212 in Wilkshire Hills across from the Bolivar Health Clinic. While the hearing was only about the parking lot request, approximately 15 township residents attended to voice their opinions on other matters regarding Dollar General.
The variance request, according to Ron Weekley, the township’s zoning inspector, was to allow Dollar General to build with 49 parking spaces rather than the 89 required by the township. According to current zoning laws, a commercial establishment must provide one parking space per 150 square feet of building.
Weekley recommended the board approve the request, saying the business had met every other zoning requirement in order to build. He said the final requirement before building is an Ohio Department of Transportation request for widening a section of state Route 212 and including a center turn lane, which Dollar General must finance.
Board and public comment
Most of the comments made by township residents focused on areas outside the variance request. Several members of the public complained the current store is not well maintained, citing products left in the aisles, stock carts blocking aisles, large potholes in the parking lot, and weeds and grass left to grow out of control.
Sarah Everett said, “There isn’t an aisle you can get through without banging into one of those containers with stock in them.”
BZA member William Woodward also complained of stock being placed on the floor instead of shelves when he last visited the store. In addition, he said he noticed equipment, boxes and general rubbish piled outside the back door.
“I’ve worked in retail for about 50 years, and that just is not permitted in any store I ever worked for. I was really disappointed in what I saw at the Bolivar store,” Woodward said.
Absent a representative from Dollar General, Jeff Mattingly, a partner with Cardinal Commercial Real Estate, addressed questions. Mattingly said CCRE builds DG stores around the country, then leases them to DG.
According to Mattingly, the concerns being voiced were the reason to build a new store, which he said will be about 5,000 square feet larger than the current 8,000-square-foot store. He said conditions at the new store would be better because Dollar General would be responsible for maintenance rather than the landlord of the current property.
“The landlord now is from New York,” Mattingly said. “So when you complain to Dollar General, they call New York, and it just falls on deaf ears. With this new building, Dollar General is responsible.”
When and how to speak up
Weekley told the audience the permit to build has already been granted, and the time to speak up against it would have been several months ago.
Weekley advised residents to attend zoning commission meetings, which are held the first Monday of every month at 7 p.m. in the township hall. He also recommended township residents familiarize themselves with the zoning code.
“We recently just passed some changes to the zoning code, and the trustees will look that over and make changes, approve or disapprove. Thirty days after they make their approval, then it becomes the law,” Weekley said.
Copies of the revised zoning code are available at the Bolivar Post Office, the Bolivar Library and the township office.
Weekley said residents who are unable to attend zoning meetings should attend the board of trustees meetings the second and last Thursday of each month to make their opinions heard. Opinions on zoning will be relayed to the zoning commission.
The final vote on the parking lot variance was four in favor and one abstention by Andy Mark, chair of the BZA board.