Dollar General and developer to appeal Tuolumne County defeat

The Tuolumne County Planning Commission’s denial of a proposal for a Dollar General store about a half-mile from the entrance to Columbia State Historic Park is being appealed to the county Board of Supervisors.

“Cross Development is moving ahead with the appeal,” said Dan MacDonald, senior director of corporate communications with Dollar General. “We believe Cross Development has met all the requirements to have the store plan approved and we support its decision to continue to pursue approval of the project.”

After a public hearing Dec. 16 in Columbia, the commission voted 5-2 to deny the plan for a 9,100-square-foot general store on Parrotts Ferry Road at Howser Lane on the corridor leading into the park’s south entrance.

The commissioners who opposed the project cited findings by the county’s Community Resources Agency regarding building design, signage and traffic. Dollar General and Cross Development were allowed 10 days to appeal the decision to the Board of Supervisors.

The appeal will go before the board sometime in February. Its regular weekly meetings are at 9 a.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.

The proposal for the general store on the Parrotts Ferry gateway into the park has drawn organized opposition from Columbia residents and businesspeople, as well as state parks employees. Dozens of people spoke against the proposal at the Dec. 16 hearing.

Common concerns by opponents have included the chain nature of the business, its proposed location, the design of the building and the location of its parking lot.

This story was originally published December 23, 2015 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Dollar General and developer to appeal Tuolumne County defeat."