Members of the Cumberland County Planning Commission voted to recommend a rezoning request and conditional use permit for a Dollar General store and store wall sign to the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors Aug. 27.

Members of the board voted to recommend the conditional use permit with a strong suggestion to the store developers to construct a monument sign, a sign that stays on the ground, in place of a pylon sign, a sign attached to a pole.

The board of supervisors is set to hold a public hearing on the store Sept. 11.

The store is proposed to be located in the area of Tipton’s Midway grocery store, at the intersection of Cumberland Road and Holman Mill Road. Julia Tipton is listed as the owner of the property where the store will be located.

Par 5 Development Group requested to rezone a 2-and-a-half acre parcel of land from Agricultural-2 to Business-2.

The conditional use permit requested to allow the store to have a wall sign of approximately 150 square feet, exceeding the maximum signage allowed by the county’s Zoning Ordinance of 60 square feet.

Laura Moss, an adjacent landowner to the proposed store, spoke during the rezoning hearing and expressed concern about trash. She said she struggled with picking up trash that came from the Midway store. She also cited a large volume of trash overflow at the Dollar General store located at Route 60. She expressed concern about potential light pollution at the site.

Chairman Dr. Bill Burger asked whether Par 5 could add proffers to address concerns about lighting, including pointing the lighting downward, and trash.

Par 5 representative Jody Bland said the lights at the location are programmed to be “night sky friendly,” and face downward. Bland also said the company is developing a nationwide team to clean up stores with maintenance concerns, citing a store in Norfolk that had additional crew come in.

“They are very serious about this problem,” Bland said.

Zachary Ivey with Par 5 Development Group gave a presentation about the store, saying it would create between 8-10 full time jobs with full-time benefits.

Vice Chair Randy Bryant said the project is relatively similar to the Dollar General store proposal from Par 5 Development in 2017, but the project was located further down Holman Mill Road.

“It was a good idea but just in the wrong spot,” Bryant said.

Regarding the conditional use permit, Planning and Zoning Director J.P. Duncan said the store is also considering a monument sign or a pylon sign at the highway.

Allen asked whether Dollar General would use the pylon or monument sign, and the amount of lighting it would emit. Ivey said they would use the pylon sign, and he said the sign is backlit instead of illuminated, lessening its brightness.

Giles noted that the Tipton Midway sign was a pylon sign.

Bryant asked if the developers make sure the highway sign does not block the line of sight for drivers.

Bland said Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) use sight triangles, or places at intersections formed by the two roads or rights of way and a third line and are kept free from obstructions to prevent accidents.

Patty Hedrick spoke during the public hearing for the permit and voiced approval for the monument sign, saying it looked more pleasing to the eyes than the pylon sign.

District Two commission member Stephen Donahue said he believes the commission improved its site ordinance but said it did not go far enough, citing needing a permit for the sign size as an example and also cited issues about the commission’s role in examining the aesthetic quality of the sign.

“I don’t think it’s our job to determine whether or not a business looks nice or not,” Donahue said later in the meeting, asking that the marketplace determine what would best attract clients. “Most businesses are going to try to want to look nice because that’s their image and they want to bring in customers.”

“We’re also charged with trying to maintain the integrity of the county … and what the citizens want,” Allen responded. “The citizens are ultimately the ones who have to live with what’s here, not the business.”

Concerning the wall sign, commission members agreed to keep the dimensions set by Par 5.

While they agreed 150 feet was appropriate for the wall sign, they questioned the dimension for the monument or pylon sign.

Ivey said the standard pylon sign is 30 feet.

Donahue made the motion to approve the permit. Allen offered an alternative motion approving the permit, but with a request that the monument sign be strongly considered as opposed to a pylon sign. The commission approved Allen’s amended motion, with four voting in approval and two in opposition.