- Video shows Williamston residents attending a Planning Commission meeting, voicing concern for a proposed Dollar General in the town.
- The commission discussed the city Master Plan, planned for revision this year.
- Residents will have the opportunity to give their input while the Master Plan is being revisited.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
“What do we want Williamston to be, but also what do we not want it to be.”
Jim Carr is a Williamston resident who has deep concerns about how a corporate dollar store may impact the charm of the town.
"We have a D&W across the street, we have the community theater, we have the hardware store, we have the best restaurants," Carr said. "Those are critical to us, those are really important to us, that we can maintain and help our neighbors and help those in the community."
He and other Williamston residents attended a Planning Commission meeting Tuesday, where they voiced their fears of Dollar General coming into town.
One resident said, "If approved, this is a disservice to our community, our residents, our business owners, and people who are visiting and discovering our town."
Another resident added, "If they decide they build the building and things go bad, who do we call? Do we call the developer, or do we call Dollar General? Is the city policing this?"
The commission ultimately decided to table the proposal until May 7th, due to landscaping concerns.
After the meeting, I spoke with Williamston Mayor Tammy Gilroy, who said that while the proposal has been tabled, it’s far from finished.
"When it is a private parcel that's sold, that a developer comes in with a plan, and if it meets those requirements, we can't vote no because of emotion," Gilroy said. "As long as they meet the expectations in our language, there is nothing we can do to stop it."
Mayor Gilroy also says one of the biggest issues with the current city Master Plan is the zoning language doesn’t match with it.
This document is going to be revisited this year, and in it, residents have the opportunity to give their input to help determine the makeup of the town
"Participate," Carr said. "There will be surveys coming out, take the survey. Take the time to go to the open houses that are asking for people's input, and really think about it."
Gilroy says the motion to revisit the master plan will be voted on April 8, at the next City Council meeting.
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