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Franklin County commissioners approve rezoning for proposed Dollar General on Rowe Gap Road after revote
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Summary
After a special called session, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning to allow a Dollar General on State Route 16 (Rowe Gap Road), reversing a prior 8–7 outcome by a 9–7 roll-call vote. Planning staff and applicant materials, including TDOT driveway approval, were in the meeting packet; opponents cited traffic and safety concerns.
The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 7, 2023 approved a rezoning request to change roughly 2.00+/- acres along State Route 16 (Rowe Gap Road) from R-1 (single-family residential) to C-1 (commercial restricted), clearing the way for a proposed Dollar General.
The special called session was convened after the item received an 8–7 vote on Jan. 17, 2023 — short of the nine-vote majority required under county rules — prompting a revote. Commissioner Tyler Bauer moved to approve the rezoning; Commissioner Bruce McMillan seconded. A roll-call vote was recorded as 9 in favor and 7 opposed, and the motion passed.
The Planning & Zoning packet in the meeting record included a Planning Commission recommendation in favor of the rezoning, staff reports, a Berry Engineers memo describing site work and a driveway design, and a TDOT letter noting conceptual and final plan approval for a highway entrance at the site. Planning Director Janet Petrunich’s materials list the parcel as Franklin County Property Map No. 86, Parcel 31.01 (part), and describe the property as approximately 2.00+/- acres fronting Rowe Gap Road.
Opposition cited traffic and safety on State Route 16. Planning Commission meeting notes from Aug. 30, 2022 attached to the county packet record the concerns raised by nearby residents, including Phillip Wilkerson and William Yates, who said the location and roadway speed raise safety questions; the Planning Commission record shows those concerns were discussed before the commission recommended approval.
Applicant materials in the county packet state that Berry Engineers submitted driveway and grading plans to TDOT and that TDOT reviewed and approved the plans; a TDOT regional traffic engineering letter included in the record confirmed that TDOT had approved the submitted site and grading plan and described the next steps for permit issuance.
The board’s recorded roll-call shows the nine votes in favor and seven opposed as noted in the meeting minutes. No ordinance number or additional binding conditions were printed in the minutes beyond the roll-call approval. The minutes indicate the county clerk, Tina Sanders, recorded the vote and the meeting was adjourned shortly after the action.
The rezoning approval is final as recorded by the county commission; further permits (site, grading, driveway permit from TDOT, and applicable building permits) and any required recordings or site-plan approvals remain prerequisites to construction.