Gaston County commissioners deny conditional rezoning for Lewis Road Dollar General after resident opposition

The Gaston County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 9 voted to deny a conditional rezoning request (REZ-228) that would have allowed a 10,640-square-foot Dollar General on two parcels on Lewis Road.

Planning staff described the 1.44-acre site as currently zoned R‑1 (single-family) and said the applicant, TKC Land Development 2 LLC, sought a CDC‑1 light commercial conditional district. Staff noted site constraints including septic/well service (no perk testing had been completed), a subsurface stormwater facility beneath part of the proposed parking, and a proposed 30‑foot buffer between the commercial site and surrounding residences. Staff also documented relief requested for parking: the Unified Development Ordinance requires 43 spaces for that size of retail building while the applicant proposed 32.

Residents and community members urged commissioners to reject the rezoning. Blair Hall, who lives on Kings Drive, said the project would threaten long-standing neighborhood businesses and scenic character and asked commissioners ‘‘not to approve this zoning request.’’ Nearby resident Eddie Brown, who also serves on the Crowder’s Mountain Fire Department board, cited crash history along Lewis Road and said additional traffic would create a safety hazard near Chapel Grove Elementary School.

Commissioners pressed staff on technical issues: the distance to the nearest existing Dollar General (staff estimated roughly three miles), the lack of a completed perk test (staff added a condition requiring final septic placement to be coordinated with Environmental Health after perc testing), and the functionality of a parking layout that could be partially blocked during deliveries. Commissioner Bob Hovis said the site was “too tight and too confined” to accommodate the store and its operational needs; he moved to deny the planning board recommendation. Commissioner Scott Sheehan seconded the motion.

The board voted to disapprove the conditional rezoning. The planning board had recommended approval by a 9‑0 vote at a prior meeting; commissioners cited neighborhood character, road geometry, lighting and parking/delivery operations as reasons to deny the request. The motion was recorded as approved by the board.

Next steps: The denial leaves the property in its current R‑1 zoning. If the applicant wishes to pursue a similar use in future, the site plan and circumstances would need to be revised and any subsequent application would return to planning staff and the boards for consideration.