Public Says ‘No’ to Convenience Store

Fierce public outcry forced the Planning Commission to table a rezoning request this week. Citizens filled the conference room in the county administration office Monday night, rows of seats were filled and citizens stood lining the back wall, anxious and muttering among themselves. After the teeming crowd was settled, Planning Commission Director Joey Low explained to the citizens that the commission had received a request by Donal Dorsey to rezone his property. Present at the meeting, Dorsey asked the commission to rezone his 1.36 acre parcel of property at the southeast corner of Talking Rock Road and Lumber Company Road from Rural Residential to Highway Business.

“My hope is that I can go and get it rezoned,”

Dorsey explained,

“and maybe (build) a business of some kind and some of the neighbors suggested a convenience store.”

After Dorsey’s statement, Low recommended the commission approve the request. Before the commission decided, though, Low permitted public comments.

The first to speak, Arbor Hills resident Joseph Weaver had several concerns about the prospect of a new convenience store.

“I feel that there’s enough commercial zoned property around the area that are under-utilized that could be used for this type of establishment,”

he said, implying that, if zoned Highway Business, Dorsey’s land too could remain empty or under-utilized. Weaver was also concerned about additional traffic and the subsequent cost of infrastructure.

“The problem is Talking Rock Road has a 45 mile an hour speed limit,”

he explained.

“so you got to have some way of slowing the traffic down in that intersection if you have a business there, which may require a traffic light, a four-way stop; you’re also going to have a crossing there.”

Other citizens had similar concerns about the request. Some citizens opposed the rezoning because of the potential increase of traffic, while others the cost of required infrastructure.

“Lumber Company Road needs vast improvement,”

Arbor Hills resident and Jasper City Council Member Allison Brown said, adding,

“If this (convenience store) is going to happen, there at this site, the infrastructure will have to be looked at and I don’t think that is a wise use of county money.”

Long-time resident of the area, Mr. Dorsey said that he would never want to do anything to harm the neighborhood, emphasizing that people know him and that he is honest.

In the end, the commission recommended the request be tabled until it could gather more information on the impact a potential establishment would have on traffic patterns and the cost of required infrastructure for such a project.

The commission is expected to further discuss the request at next month’s meeting.