Dollar General proposal not well received in Upper Burrell

In a township that protects its rural character and quietness, some Upper Burrell residents are railing against a proposal for the development of a Dollar General store along Route 780 near Dewey Drive.

A discussion of the proposal came up during a township supervisors meeting earlier this month.

“We live here because it’s the country,” said Betty Beestrice, who lives across the street from the would-be store.

Additionally, she said, “There will be more traffic on a one-and-a-half-lane road.”

Daniel J. Hewitt, of Avolio Law Group of Greensburg, represented an unnamed developer at a June 16 meeting of the Upper Burrell Planning Commission, according to township solicitor Steve Yakopec.

Hewitt asked the planning commission if it could amend the township’s zoning ordinance to permit construction of a store of more than 10,000 square feet.

The parcel of land proposed for the store is in a C-1 district known as a commercial neighborhood service zone, which currently does not allow a building the size Hewitt’s client wants to build, according to Upper Burrell officials.

As there was no formal request, the zoning board neither supported or objected to the idea of changing the zoning for the proposed store.

However, some board members questioned the need for such a store. They were concerned about the impact it would have on a nearby business, the Little Store on Route 780, according to the minutes of the zoning board’s meeting.

There was no new information to add on the proposal this week, Hewitt said.