TOWNSHEND — There will be a community forum on Thursday, May 24, at 6 p.m., at the Townshend Town Hall, to discuss the proposal to build a Dollar General store on Route 30.
Local residents are encouraged to come share their thoughts and questions. All community members are welcome, including residents of Townshend, Jamaica, Newfane, Wardsboro, Athens, Windham, Brookline, and beyond.
Survey results will be shared and a moderated discussion will follow. Refreshments will be served and childcare provided.
Townshend-area residents recently became aware that a developer for the Dollar General company has plans to purchase the current site of Lawrence's Smoke Shop and Country Store on Route 30, as reported in the Brattleboro Reformer on April 2.
According to the Reformer, since Townshend doesn't have zoning regulations, there is nothing the town can do to regulate the construction of the proposed 7,500 square foot store. In addition, because the lot where the store would be built is only 0.8 acres, the project is below the 1-acre trigger that would require an Act 250 permit application.
Lawrence's is owned by former Townshend Selectboard Chair Henry “Kit” Martin, who also owns Townshend Auction Gallery, which is next door.
In April, a group of concerned citizens formed Save The Scenic Corridor, an organization with the objective of protecting Townshend's designated scenic corridor.
According to a news release, the group put out a community-wide survey to gauge the opinions of the residents of Townshend and the surrounding towns regarding the building of a Dollar General in that location, and received more than 500 responses.