Wed
Jan 20 2016
08:54 pm
Petition for a Better Dollar General on Washington Pike
By: KevinMurphy

I started a petition this week requesting that Dollar General and Schaad Brown Real Estate (not associated with Schaad Companies) enhance the design of the Dollar General they are building at the corner of Washington Pike and Murphy Road. It's just about at 500 supporters.

Here's the link if you'd like to support it. All the info is there and in the attachments:
(link...)

Topics:
KevinMurphy's picture

News Sentinel article truncated?

Submitted by KevinMurphy on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 9:34am.

Hmmm. The News Sentinel ran an article online the evening of the 20th and in the paper on A3 on the 21st. The afternoon of the 21st, the online version was truncated - the headline, picture, picture caption and writer information appear, but no text appears with the article.

I contacted the KNS webmaster yesterday and I just left a message for their site director. Has anybody else seen this happen before?

Article link is (was?): (link...)

Anonymoushdhdhd's picture

Thank you for getting the

Submitted by Anonymoushdhdhd (not verified) on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 10:00am.
(in reply to KevinMurphy)

Thank you for getting the word out Kevin!

KevinMurphy's picture

Hmm - still not fixed

Submitted by KevinMurphy on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 5:05pm.
(in reply to KevinMurphy)

The article is still truncated, and hasn't been fixed yet. I haven't seen this before; has anybody else?

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 12:37pm.

Kevin, I'm kinda surprised that you folks didn't also petition for a Dollar General Market (stocking meat, produce, and dairy), rather than just a Dollar General?

It's my impression that grocery stores are a little thin out your way?

Anonymousyytff's picture

Its one mile from I640, we

Submitted by Anonymousyytff (not verified) on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 12:51pm.
(in reply to Tamara Shepherd)

Its one mile from I640, we dont live in the sticks.

KevinMurphy's picture

Dollar General Market

Submitted by KevinMurphy on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 1:15pm.
(in reply to Tamara Shepherd)

I've actually never seen or been into a Dollar General Market. That could be a nice addition here, but I wasn't focusing on the use as much as the aesthetics with this petition.

The site they selected is severely constrained - they have road ROW on two sides, a TVA power line easement and and a KUB gas pipeline running through it, and a creek. My understanding is that they spent months tweaking the plans and working with TVA, KUB, and city engineering to fit a 9,100 foot store with required parking and detention pond on the site. I'm not sure they have any room to build a larger store, so if a Dollar General Market requires more square footage, it wouldn't be viable. My understanding is that this 9,100 sq foot design is the smallest Dollar General has.

Good suggestion though! There is the Food City next to East Town nearby, and some groceries at Target. I tend to shop at the Midway IGA in Gibbs, and the Kroger in Fountain City though for selection and availability of local products.

bizgrrl's picture

I'm glad you are trying to

Submitted by bizgrrl on Fri, 2016/01/22 - 4:38pm.

I'm glad you are trying to get a better Dollar General Store. I wish we had done that in Alcoa. Interesting enough they built a better looking store on Maryville Pike/Old Knoxville Hwy. at Sam Houston Schoolhouse Road. Don't know how they got a better building at that location. It is in Maryville versus Alcoa. The location in Alcoa is highly visible and warranted an attractive building, IMHO.

Up Goose Creek's picture

Townsend

Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Sat, 2016/01/23 - 12:49pm.

The DG in Townsend is downright tolerable. I hadn't noticed the one in Rockford but I guess that's the point.

bizgrrl's picture

The Rockford store is on the

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2016/01/23 - 4:48pm.
(in reply to Up Goose Creek)

The Rockford store is on the side street, not on Maryville Pike. It is a parking lot away from Maryville Pike.

Up Goose Creek's picture

Rockford

Submitted by Up Goose Creek on Sat, 2016/01/23 - 9:08pm.

I know where it is and you can't miss the sign. Just the building seems to blend in. Which would be good. Their target market is locals - once they know where it is they don't need a reminder.

Whatever I think of their aesthetics, I hold Dollar general responsible for the drop in gas consumption in this country. Why drive 10-15 mile to a big box when 80%of your daily needs are right around the corner.

bizgrrl's picture

I do think they are providing

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2016/01/23 - 9:57pm.
(in reply to Up Goose Creek)

I do think they are providing something that has gone missing, a local store.

bizgrrl's picture

The other day I came upon

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2016/02/11 - 8:12am.
(in reply to bizgrrl)

The other day I came upon another Dollar General Store in Louisville, TN, on Louisville Road at Mentor/Miser Station. It too has the better building than the one in Alcoa on Hall Road. Good location for all the residents in the Louisville boonies.

Chuck R's picture

If I'm not mistaken, the

Submitted by Chuck R (not verified) on Sat, 2016/01/23 - 10:58pm.

If I'm not mistaken, the "Brown" in Schaad Brown Real Estate is Jimmy Duncan's son in law.

Knoxgal's picture

Update on the Washington Pike Dollar General

Submitted by Knoxgal on Thu, 2016/02/11 - 12:38pm.

Because Kevin is traveling out of the country at the moment, I'm going to step in with an update on the situation.

The developers finally responded earlier in the week with a letter to Council member Nick Della Volpe on which Kevin and other interested parties were cc'd. In other words, they didn't have the courtesy to respond to Kevin directly. They made a few concessions, which included an 8-ft monument sign vs a 10-ft pole sign and said they would install some landscaping. However, the sign will be internally lit as opposed to indirectly lit and they have not submitted a landscaping plan.

As for the building, they said they couldn't change the design because it had already been fabricated and purchased and there was nothing they could do about it. This is contrary to information Kevin has collected by talking to builders and architects, including one builder of Dollar General Stores. They all concur that it's entirely possible to add brick to the concrete facade.

948 people signed Kevin's petition. The developers have shown themselves to be unresponsive to and disrespectful of the community from which they intend to profit.

This situation demonstrates just how lacking our zoning codes are. Gerald Green, the new Executive Director of MPC, wants to hire a consultant to rewrite the city's zoning codes. The goal is to bring them up to date and give us the attractive and well functioning community we all deserve to live in. We have made a start with an updated sign ordinance. We should all support Mr. Green's effort to complete the task.

yellowdog's picture

Watch for lights!

Submitted by yellowdog on Thu, 2016/02/11 - 1:00pm.
(in reply to Knoxgal)

The Rockford store (which is subject to Rockford's weak zoning regs) is lit up like a footmball field at night in an area that is residential. I cannot imagine how it is to live near it. There need to be requirements for downlights so that the rest of the world can pretend it is nighttime.

Knoxgal's picture

Full cutoff lighting

Submitted by Knoxgal on Thu, 2016/02/11 - 1:38pm.

Kevin has requested full cutoff lighting for all the lights on the property, but the developers did not address this in their email.

I hope members of the community recognize they have a choice about where they spend their dollars.

Lisa Starbuck's picture

Dollar General Robberies

Submitted by Lisa Starbuck on Thu, 2016/02/11 - 5:53pm.

The Dollar General stores seem to attract a bad element also. Not necessarily something you want in the neighborhood, especially the way they have ignored the reasonable requests of the community for a better store. It's too late for some neighborhoods, but neighborhood groups who haven't yet experienced the Dollar General blight, be vigilant and beware!

Feb. 7th 2016

(link...)

The Knoxville Police Department is searching for a suspect in an armed robbery that happened at a Dollar General store located at 1425 Chapman Highway.

Jan. 4th 2016
(link...)
Knoxville police are investigating an armed robbery that happened at the Dollar General on North Broadway Street in North Knoxville.

Jan. 7th 2016
(link...)

KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Knoxville Police Department is searching for a suspect in a robbery at a Dollar General Store in East Knoxville 2265 McCalla Avenue at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue

Oct. 26, 2015
(link...)

CLINTON — The Dollar General store on Edgemoor Road in Anderson County’s Claxton community was robbed at knifepoint Saturday night, according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Department incident report.

September 7, 2015
(link...)

KNOXVILLE The Knox County Sheriff's Office is looking for an armed man who robbed a Dollar General store in West Knox County.

July 14, 2015
(link...)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - The Knoxville Police Department has arrested a man they say robbed a Dollar General Tuesday morning.

Mark Jason Arons, 40, of New Market, has been charged with one count of aggravated robbery.

Officers responded to the Dollar General at 2625 Western Avenue around 11:00 a.m.

bizgrrl's picture

Dang, that's sad. I'm under

Submitted by bizgrrl on Thu, 2016/02/11 - 6:23pm.
(in reply to Lisa Starbuck)

Dang, that's sad. I'm under the impression they are serving under served markets.

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