LAKEPORT >> Applause filled the Lake County Board of Supervisors chambers Tuesday when an appeal regarding the construction of a Dollar General in Kelseyville was denied.
Several concerns with the project were cited — including economic concerns, location, traffic, child safety and consistency with the community’s character — during both the original planning commission discussion and recent board meetings.
“If you take away our small businesses, you will take away our country town,” Kelseyville resident and former owner of the Food Center Joan Morrell said.
Amy Herman of Berkeley-based ALH Urban and Regional Economics was hired to perform a study on the impact the store would have on Kelseyville’s community by Cross Development.
According to Herman, the store would “help keep people shopping locally,” as well as “minimize trips out of the community to Lakeport or Clearlake.”
“There is still lots of additional retail demand that would exist for the existing stores,” Herman continued. “The existing stores would manage to co-exist with the Dollar General and would likely not close.”
Kelseyville resident Richard Smith disagreed.
“We have a dilemma in small communities like this … there is only a certain amount of money that comes into Kelseyville economically,” Smith argued. “What Dollar General will do in effect is take that money out of the community.”
Ultimately, the board upheld the planning commissions decision with a 3-1 vote, with District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock dissenting.
District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown recused himself from the hearing because he owns property near the proposed site.
If the appeal would have been approved, this would have been the third Dollar General constructed in the county, with the first two being built in Nice and Clearlake Oaks. Residents of both Middletown and Kelseyville have generally resisted planned stores.
On May 28 the Lake County Planning Commission unanimously denied the major permit application of Cross Development for a 9,100 square foot Dollar General, to be constructed near Kelseyville High School. After a contentious initial debate and denial by the county, Dollar General filed an appeal. The hearing had then been postponed multiple times because of conflicts with supervisors schedules.
The proposed site of the Dollar General was two parcels located on Douglas Road and Main Street, located directly across from Kelseyville High School.
Multiple changes to the proposal were suggested by the Lake County Community Development Department. Recommendations included reducing the number of parking spots from 30 to 25, limiting product delivery times, building sidewalks and installing landscaping, Senior Planner Michalyn DelValle said.
During public comment, the majority of discussion was against the store.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
