Land Use Board recommends Dollar General at U.S. 601; DOT median extension required

Union County Land Use Board members voted to recommend approval of conditional rezoning petition CZ2025‑003 to rezone a 14.2‑acre parcel along U.S. 601 from RA‑40 to B‑4 with conditions that would limit the proposed retail building to about 12,668 square feet to accommodate a Dollar General market concept.

Planning staff described the site as undeveloped agricultural/large‑lot residential land near a truck stop and said the NCDOT required a mitigation measure to extend the median at the driveway approach to prevent northbound through‑traffic from making unsafe U‑turns across multiple lanes. "The accommodation that was required by the DOT is to extend the concrete median so that you can't make that maneuver," staff said.

Beth Godfrey of The Keith Corporation (TKC Land Development) represented the developer and said the company pursued DOT's controlled access process and received conditional approval contingent on acquiring the necessary land. Godfrey described the Dollar General store as a new market concept offering fresh foods and said the driveway plan will be limited to right‑in/right‑out on U.S. 601; no access onto Hargett Road was proposed. "Everything will be on 601," she said.

Staff noted transportation data for the corridor: about 14,000 vehicles per day on U.S. 601 and roughly 600 vehicles per day on Hargett Road. The site would have public water available but would use an on‑site septic field, and no additional funded county road projects were shown. The development team also described an on‑site detention facility for stormwater.

Two nearby residents, Zane Keziah and Tim Keziah, spoke in favor of the project at the meeting, saying the store would be an asset to the community. Staff reported one resident attended the community meeting and expressed support.

Board members discussed the project's fit in the county's employment corridor policy and potential for retail to change corridor character. Despite those concerns, staff recommended approval and the board voted to recommend approval to the Board of Commissioners. As with other rezoning recommendations, the County Commission will make the final decision at a future meeting.

Key numeric and procedural details recorded in the staff presentation: the parcel is about 14.2 acres; the proposed retail footprint is limited to 12,668 square feet on the site plan; U.S. 601 carries about 14,000 vehicles per day; the DOT required extension of the median near the driveway; and controlled access approval was described as conditionally approved pending land acquisition. The board adopted an advisory consistency and reasonableness statement and forwarded the recommendation to the county commission.