The message from Flintstone residents was loud and clear.
They support the Dollar General Store being in the community but don’t want to see it moved further down Chattanooga Valley Road.
At Sole Commissioner Bebe Heiskell’s most recent meeting, residents delivered petitions, brought photos and spoke out against rezoning a residential piece of property to commercial on Chattanooga Valley Road across the street from its intersection with North Highway 341. If rezoned, Dollar General plans to build a larger store there and close its present location on Chattanooga Valley Road near Gaines Drive.
After more than an hour of discussion, Heiskell opted to table a decision on the rezoning until sometime in January.
The proposal
Bobby Howard, a representative from Hibbymo Properties, presented plans for the property, which was rezoned from commercial to residential last year.
If this re-rezoning goes through, he said a new, 12,480-square-foot Dollar General Store will be built on the 5-acre property. The bigger building would add approximately 4,000 square feet, allowing the store to carry more food items and dry goods. Meats and other fresh options may be added, depending on the shopping habits of area residents, said Howard.
Specialized landscaping, including a recreation area, is also part of the plan.
“We are dedicated to building a walking trail around the property,” he said. “We’ll put a bridge over the creek and landscape it and dedicate that land to the county.”
The proposal for rezoning was approved by Walker County’s Planning Commission.
The opposition
Traffic snarls, accessibility for disabled and elderly residents who often travel on the road or sidewalks to the existing Dollar General Store, and the absence of a plan for growth in the community were chief among concerns voiced by citizens present at the meeting and a series of emails Heiskell presented.
“I don’t have any problems with that plan,” said one resident. “The only problem I have it’s going to be a nightmare for the people who live there. It doesn’t make good sense to the people who live around here. I go to the Dollar General probably every other day. I also buy gas, but that doesn’t mean I want a gas station in my backyard.”
Sisters and area residents Avery and Ashlee Patten are interested in seeing a long-term revitalization plan drafted for the area. Neither are opposed to having a bigger Dollar General Store in the area, they just don’t feel this location is the best for the community as a whole, they said.
“There are people from all aspects of this community who recognize the value of Flintstone and who I really, truly think, from what I’ve seen, would like to come together for some kind of long-range planning process so we can outline how we maintain this absolute jewel,” Avery Patten said, adding that the community needs time to go through this process together. “Please give us the opportunity to stand strong and come together as a community. You have our attention. Please buy us the time.”