FERRISBURGH — After visiting the proposed Route 7 site of a Dollar General store and later taking testimony last Wednesday evening, the Ferrisburgh Zoning Board of Adjustment decided to continue its public hearing next month.
The third hearing on the proposal to build the store on a 9.9-acre parcel at the junction of Route 7 and Monkton Road will take place Jan. 6 at 7:05 p.m.
The owners of the land hope to build a 10,000-square-foot, one-story, metal-sided and roofed Dollar General store, which the developers hope will be the first of three stores on the site. The building would sit 250 feet back from the highway.
Developers in November said the Dollar General chain — there are other outlets around Vermont, including in Richford, Barre, Colchester, Springfield, Lyndon, Rutland and Milton — sells a mix of hardware, clothing and groceries at competitive prices.
Neighbors and other citizens who attended last Wednesday’s meeting are concerned about the appearance of the building and its landscaping, the impact of the project on the neighborhood, and the effect increased traffic will have on the area.
Zoning chairwoman Charlene Stavenow said those citizens told the board they will authorize a private study of the project’s traffic impact and present it at the January meeting.
Developers in November relied on Agency of Transportation and other material in stating the impact of their project on local traffic would be minimal.
The 9.9-acre parcel is zoned Highway Commercial. Retail is conditionally permitted there, meaning the stores are permissible, but the zoning board may attach conditions to the permit. Conditions might typically include provisions for building design, landscaping, lighting, hours of operation, sign size, and parking and other site plan requirements.
The zoning board may also determine if a project has an adverse impact on its neighborhood and the character of the area, and whether a project complies with Ferrisburgh’s town plan.
The applicants are seeking specific approval for the Dollar General store and conceptual approval for two more stores. The zoning board would have to issue further permits for additional stores, which developers said would resemble the first building in size and design.
The developers have a state permit for a septic system adequate for three 10,000-square-foot retail stores, but there are no deals in place for the other stores, they said in November.
Andy Kirkaldy may be reached at [email protected].