Olivia P Tucker
Times Reporter
The Scott County Board of Commissioners voted against rezoning a parcel from agriculture to business on Highway 256 at their regular meeting on Sept. 6.
Developer Tom Cowen from Zaremba Group in Lakewood, OH told the commissioners that Dollar General would like to put a Dollar General Market on the 2.145 acres on East State Road 256, near the Hardy Lake Entrance.
A Dollar General Market has fresh produce and foods and has been placed in areas and communities where there seems to be a “food desert” said Cowen.
He shared photos of produce and food could be purchased at the Dollar General Maeket.
Cowen also addressed the concerns of the Dollar General Market affecting Pioneer Village and said that there was room for both stores and that what Pioneer Village sells doesn’t conflict with the new Dollar General.
“Their retailers are very specific on how they pick a location for a store,” said Cowen, “They have databases to tell them where people live and where people shop and how long it takes to go outside their area neighborhood.”
Adrienne Parks who lives adjacent to the parcel said that the property doesn’t fit the comprehensive plan of Scott County. She added that the parcel of land and the community that is out there is the rural part of Scott County.
Her husband, Jami Parks said, “I would never argue over something being used for its intended purpose but this was agricultural when we moved in and now that the intended purpose is trying to change, I do feel we have the right to speak against that.”
Jami said that the reason he and his family built on family land was that was safer for his kids to be able to walk to family members’ homes and with the proposed commercial rezoning, it was a concern for safety.
George Lucas, the current owner of the parcel said that he was in support of the rezoning change. He said, “All land at some point has been some type of agricultural.”
Lucas said that he knew that he was talking against people whom he considered his friends within the crowd but he was addressing his opinion and knew his family supported the rezoning.
Ab Watts said he lives a mile north of Pioneer Village said that he was in favor of the rezoning change. His reason is that he has to make a round trip to both Austin and Scottsburg and it would be convenient for him to have a Dollar General Market.
Commissioner President Mike Jones said, “I put my name on the line to vote for things good, bad and different in this community. And I will say this, I take every vote I make very seriously.”
Commissioner Greg Prince said, “For me, this is certainly very difficult. So here is where I am at with this vote, without receiving a recommendation from the APC for the change in zoning. And honestly with it being a very rural area in Scott County, I am a no vote for tonight.”
“I know it’s difficult,” Jones said. “I don’t like these votes when there is families involved that everybody knows and everybody respects but at this particular time I am going to vote no as well.”
Both Prince and Jones voted no to the rezoning while Commissioner Randy Julian was not present at the meeting.