GRIFTON — The Grifton Board of Commissioners tabled a vote on a rezoning request that would allow a second Dollar General store in the town after hearing protests and support for the request and an exchange that resulted in a speaker being escorted from the meeting.
Nearly every seat was full at the March 12 public hearing on the request by Glandon Forest Equity LLC to rezone 2.08 acres of land owned by Loede Brooks Harper, Cynthia Lee Harper and Drew S. Harper on N.C. 118 from R-10 residential to B-1 highway commercial.
During the public hearing Joseph Scott, Michael Manning and Justin Oakes explained why they were against the proposal, and Loede Harper, Waldo Alacea and Chris Cox expressed support.
Scott, director of Grifton Arts in the Park, said he was concerned that a second Dollar General would hurt business at Food Pride, a grocery that opened in 2023 after several years without a grocery store. The store’s proposed location near the town’s baseball complex could hurt revenue there, he said.
“We finally got a grocery store that is doing good in town, we need to keep him in town, and the Dollar General will take away from the baseball field’s concession sales,” Scott said.
He was concerned that conditions at the new store would mirror problems at the current Dollar General location on Highland Avenue. He said the aisles are in disarray, shelves are out of stock and “the place is always full of trash.”
Manning, a resident of Maggie Hart Lane, echoed Scott’s concerns and added he was concerned a Dollar General could sell alcohol near where the little leaguers play.
Oakes, vice president of the Grifton Baseball League, said that he’s not opposed to seeing Grifton grow but Dollar General isn’t the way to go. He said he was not interested in a cash offer by Cox, a developer working with Glandon Forest.
“I understand he wanted to give us $10,000 out of his own money to help us with concessions, and this, that, and the other,” said Oakes. “I’m not interested, I don’t want their money.”
He referenced recent headlines that Dollar General is facing OSHA penalties and is closing hundreds of stores nationwide.
“Why are they closing? Cause they’re dirty,” said Oakes.
Loede Harper, whose family owns the site in question, said that it’s hard for her to conceive Dollar General as the main competition for Food Pride.
“I feel confident that nobody in this town wants to see our grocery store close, everybody is tickled to death to finally get a grocery store again, and in the past Grifton had three successful grocery stores operating simultaneously that the town supported,” said Harper.
Harper said that the existing Dollar General’s days are numbered due to flooding and disrepair.
“I don’t see us having two Dollar Generals for long, and if that one does close, we’re going to be without one,” said Harper.
Harper said that would take people to Ayden or Kinston, and while they are there, they might just go ahead and do the grocery shopping. That will not help the local grocery store, she said.
If there’s going to be competition between the Dollar General and the grocery store, Harper said that it would be between the existing store that’s within 0.4 miles as opposed to a store located 1.5 miles away.
The Dollar General offers an option to get items after 8 p.m., and Harper said that she doesn’t see it being competition for the baseball park’s concession sales.
“It’s hard for me to see somebody walking 300 yards to get a cheaper drink or candy, as opposed to what’s there — and you sure can’t beat a good ballpark hot dog,” said Harper. “And I know Dollar General doesn’t compete with that.”
Harper said the cash offer should help with any drops in concession sales, and that cars coming in and out of the baseball park pose more of a safety issue than cars coming in and out of Dollar General.
She said the town will be missing out on commercial growth if it turns down the request; she’s concerned that other businesses are watching and a denial could deter them from wanting to come to Grifton.
Alacea of Chebistal Drive said allowing Dollar General means growth for the town and questioned past decisions by the town board and previous statements by Mayor Billy Ray Jackson, including concern about its impact on Food Pride. It’s not the board’s job to regulate competition, he said.
“Well, if you guys are using that analogy, why did the grocery store come in?” Alacea asked the board. The grocery store competes with Dollar General, and a coffee shop approved by the board competes with the local Speedway, which sells coffee as well as some grocery items.
“It’s about growth, entrepreneurship, bringing this town up and moving it forward,” Alacea said, prompting Jackson to interrupt with a single tap of his gavel.
“Mr. Alacea, this public hearing is to hear why we should do it, or why we shouldn’t do it,” said Jackson. “We are not here to sit here and listen to you bash this board.”
“You opened the door with the things that you said,” Alacae said to Jackson, then Jackson struck his gavel 16 times.
“You’re through, you’re through, you’re through, sit down,” said Jackson. “I got a chief of police back there, you have bashed this board, you’re through.”
“That’s fine, I have not bashed, I brought to your attention the things that you said,” said Alacea.
Jackson struck his gavel eight more times, then instructed Police Chief Deric Dennis to escort Alacea from the meeting here and called the next speaker.
Developer Chris Cox said in 12 years of such requests he never experienced such an outburst and asked for the vote to be tabled.
“I’d like for this board to take this vote off right now for what just happened, that was uncalled for, and I want to table this right now for what just happened,” said Cox. “This is a public hearing, and this guy didn’t do anything to this board.”
Jackson said, “Excuse me just a minute,” and Cox replied “No sir, no sir.”
He turned to residents in the audience and asked if anyone agreed. Many nodded in agreement.
Again Cox asked for the request to be tabled.
“It’s a free country,” Jackson replied.
“It is a free country, and that’s why he was up here talking his free speech, sir,” said Cox.
Jackson reiterated that the public hearing is for people to express their favor for or against the potential Dollar General, not to discredit the board.
“This is not the first time I’ve dealt with that man,” said Jackson. “You don’t know that man from Joe’s house cat.”
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