Some residents in the South Toe community have been receiving letters from Dollar General inquiring about the possible acquisition of their land. Apparently Dollar General is considering putting a new store along Highway 80 South in Yancey County. A large group of concerned citizens has started a campaign to prevent efforts by Dollar General to locate a store on Hwy 80 South which is the official Scenic Byway that leads to Mt. Mitchell.
The group, Protect Our Yancey Communities is, according to their website (https://protectouryanceycommunities.org), working to preserve the heritage of our communities by supporting local businesses and development that improve the quality of life. Their first campaign is currently talking to people in the South Toe area who will be affected by this new chain store and asking them how they feel about it. They are also gathering signatures, via their website, Facebook page and local stores, of those who are opposed to a Dollar General locating in this area. Some people have expressed concerns over the store locating where they might affect the natural scenic beauty of the area. Others feel like it will hurt long term local businesses who contribute to the local community and it’s atmosphere and who are part of the area’s heritage and whose tax dollars stay in the county. Others are concerned that Dollar General Stores, who have few employees, are prime targets for robberies. (A Dollar General in Asheville and in Spindale were both robbed last week). Other people think a Dollar General is a good idea, saying it would bring more business to the area, add a few jobs and give more choice. Some in the community are looking to “cash in” by seeking real estate appraisals.
Bernadette Berens is the person in charge of selecting properties for Dollar General. Berens has said that at this time nothing is “under contract” for an additional Dollar General in Yancey County. However she is aware that there is no zoning in this area and said they look at NCDOT data, demographics, whether there is water and sewer on properties of about an acre.
Dollar General currently has a store in Burnsville and in Newdale. Dollar General Corporation is headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee with, as of October 2021, 18,000 stores in the continental United States which is more than McDonalds and Starbucks combined. As of February15th, 22 Dollar Generals stores across North Carolina have been recently fined for “excessive” price-scanning errors.
