BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Neighbors of a proposed Dollar General Store in Morgan County are up in arms over the prospect of building the new retail outlet.
Developers want to build the store on an eight acre parcel of land at the corner of U.S. Route 522 and Oakland Road in southern Morgan County. The property was originally plotted for residential housing, but now commercial developers see potential. Residents living nearby see potential as well, but not the same kind.
“When you put a commercial development at that particular intersection the traffic is going to become hazardous,” said Rita Donadieu who lives across the road from the site. “That’s putting it mildly.”
She and more than 80 other people packed the fellowship hall of a local church to voice their concerns to the Morgan County Planning Commission Monday night.
“They want to put their entrance onto Oakland Road, which is a very narrow country road,” Donadieu said. “Turning onto a very small road and then a sharp left will create a very hazardous situation, especially with tractor trailers. Most of us who live here think the road is dangerous enough already.”
The final answer will be up to the planning commission. The property owners and developer are seeking a series of waivers which would clear the way for the construction. Donadieu and her neighbors hope their concerns are taken into consideration and another site is chosen.
“I know they heard our concerns, that’s all I can say,” she said. “It remains to be seen how the planning commission views those waivers and how each of them is resolved. It could be that will put a stop to it.”