LUCAS, Ohio–The possibility of Dollar General opening a store in Lucas has been an ongoing discussion for two years. A Dollar General store would provide Lucas with the first retail store in the village for several years, provided the property will be rezoned.
Two properties currently under consideration for the store are located at 15 Bond St. and 89 E. Main St. Both properties are owned by Robert and Deanna Vail who are willing to sell them to Dollar General said Lucas Mayor Todd Hall. Main Street, also state Route 39, is the main route through Lucas and would provide Dollar General with customers traveling through the village in addition to local residents.
The properties are well-situated but they are currently zoned residential. For Dollar General to purchase them and move forward, they will have to be rezoned commercial. Some of the neighboring property is commercial, but not the properties under consideration.
Village council heard a first reading of the ordinance to change the zoning on May 19. Three readings were not required for the rezoning.
“Because it’s a sensitive matter, I urged council to do three readings,” Hall said.
The May 19 meeting was the most highly attended council meeting since he became mayor said Hall. Some attendees were there just to listen but residents across the street from the proposed location were opposed.
“Some of them were here because they had general questions. There are some people who are going to live in close proximity to the store,” Hall said. One resident was concerned about privacy. “There were three people who attended that absolutely do not want it,” he said.
Some neighboring residents are concerned that their property values will suffer.
Hall first reached out to the Northern Ohio regional director for Dollar General in 2013 to encourage the store chain to consider the vacant J&J Super Value store building for a new Dollar General. The mayor explained to the director how similar Butler and Lucas are (Butler now has a Dollar General), and how both communities sit on state routes.
Dollar General was interested and the realty company that handles Dollar General properties looked at the site. Dollar General, however, requires a parcel with space for their required parking specifications and that property proved inadequate.
“Dollar General, when they eyeball property, they look very closely to see if the building is going to be suitable for what they do. What they do is a retro-fit, which means they would come in and refurbish the existing structure and remodel it to Dollar General specifications.
“That particular property they felt would be best to raze it and start all over. However, the property developer, in looking at the property more closely, he did not realize how quickly the rear side of the property dropped off. He said with that, along with the number of parking spaces that Dollar General requires that particular piece of property was not going to work.”
Attempts to acquire adjoining property were unsuccessful and a new location was sought. Over the last year, the company looked at a residential area and an existing commercial property but suitability or negotiations were unsatisfactory. The developer then saw the property under consideration and ask Hall to reach out to the Vails, who own the property.
The Vails decided they would sell their property.
If the ordinance passes, Dollar General would break ground in 2016.
