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LETTER: Proposed Family Dollar would harm neighborhood

Posted on November 10, 2011November 10, 2011 by Staff

In our community, a sad development might take place unless we speak out now.

On Oct. 6, at a joint meeting of the advisory boards of Carrboro, a proposal was introduced to build a Family Dollar on Alabama Avenue at Jones Ferry Road. That would destroy the atmosphere of a long-standing neighborhood of high integrity. This neighborhood already had to deal with destruction of its bordering woodland to the south, when the Town of Carrboro allowed the storage facility there.

Alabama Avenue needs what’s there now – the wonderful little buffer of trees, still standing upon the lot at the entrance to the neighborhood, a woodland buffer that makes oxygen, which counteracts the noise and exhaust pollution from busy Jones Ferry, as well as from N.C. 54.
Problems that concern me as a nearby Carrboro resident:

1. Family Dollar’s proposal to develop the lot details only 26 parking spaces, when apparently 40 parking spaces are needed for a store like this. Therefore don’t we suppose people will park along Alabama in order to get into the store? And the entrance to the store is on Alabama Avenue. 
2. Stronach Properties, who wants to build this Family Dollar right there on Alabama, is an out-of-town outfit. They do not know, thus I presume do not really care, about this neighborhood. It is not near where any of the Stronach employees live, I would dare to say. So why would they care about anything other than their own paychecks?
3. It looks to me, and to others concerned, that a park is the best use for this stretch of land. There are so many apartments nearby, on the opposite side of Jones Ferry and also just north of Davie Road. Certainly those apartment dwellers could benefit from a bit of green nature close by – to play in, to play chess in, to relax in.

A nursing home or a duplex could also work next to this neighborhood. Someone local who cares about the neighborhood ought to be overseeing whatever development happens here – not an out-of-town company. The phrase “think local” is vital. Family Dollar ought to live up to the name “Family” and honor family values, one of which surely is to preserve a good neighborhood by not building a big store here. Family Dollar Stores, Inc. has an egregious record of low pay and class action lawsuits on unpaid overtime. If allowed here, this store will probably only employ two to three people at low wages. I don’t want a store like this in my community!
Barbara Janeway
Carrboro

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