Wales Township sets special meeting Monday to review Dollar General site plan

Wales Township will hold a special meeting Monday night to review a Dollar General store site plan, and some residents are not happy about the prospective new business.

The special planning commission meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the township hall at 1372 Goodells Road and both Township Supervisor Elizabeth Masters and township resident Matt Kettlewell expect a lot of people to attend.

"I do know there's a lot of support for the store, as well as opposition," Masters said, with the opposition being the “louder party.”

According to the site plan submitted to the township in April, the proposed Dollar General is 9,100 square feet and will be on the southeast corner of the intersection of Wales Center and Lapeer roads.

"It is the busiest intersection in Wales Township," Masters said.

Dollar General spokeswoman Angela Petkovic said in an email that the company is currently in a “due diligence phase” for a new store on Wales Center Road.

“This means we’re interested in adding a new store in St. Clair County but have not committed to doing so yet,” she said. “Based on our current timeline, we anticipate a final decision to be made on the store by late summer.”

If the Wales Township Dollar General is built, it will be the 18th location in St. Clair County.

If built, the store will employ six to 10 people. Dollar Generals sell merchandise such as foods, health and beauty products, home cleaning supplies and more, Petkovic said.

She said when the company chooses store locations, it  considered whether it can meet customers’ price, value and selection needs.

“We further strive to provide convenience for customers who may not have affordable nearby retail options,” she said.

Kettlewell, who lives three miles from the potential new store, said another Dollar General was unnecessary with one nearby in Emmett.

“They’re like literally all over,” he said.

He said Dollar Generals can make it hard for other convenience stores to establish a stronghold in the community becauselocal stores won’t be able to compete with the national chain's prices.

The Dollar General would increase tax revenue in the township, but Kettlewell said he doesn’t see it being a big positive to the township with only hiring up to 10 people.

He said he plans to go to the meeting on Monday to hear others' opinions, “even though it’s not going to change anything.”

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Masters said Monday’s meeting is for reviewing the site plan to make sure the plan has things like ample parking, is compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations and has low-impact lighting.

"It's further along in the steps than what people think," she said.

Because the township is zoned for general business, Dollar General has the right to build on the site. The township cannot discriminate against a business if it meets the zoning and building criteria, she said.

Masters said the No. 1 concern local residents have shared is they don’t want to buy Chinese-made goods, though Dollar General also sells U.S.-made products.

She said people are also concerned about the Dollar General putting other stores out of business. Masters said she believes Dollar General will be different enough from other stores and that there’s room for both in the community for different audiences.

Contact Bryce Airgood at (810) 989-6202 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.