The New York Times recently profiled a group of residents and businesses in Chester, Vermont that is fighting a proposed Dollar General store in the town’s center. Supporters argue that the store will expand the town’s tax base and residents’ retail options. Opponents contend that the store will erode the town’s bucolic character and drive local shops out of business.
Chester’s Development Review Board, which narrowly approved the 9,100 square-foot Dollar General, is requiring the retailer to meet 35 conditions, including that it use wood siding, instead of vinyl, and keep its shopping carts inside. Dollar General on its own proposed a building with a peaked roof, cupola, and faux hayloft door.
But the project may be stalled under Vermont’s Act 250, a state law that authorizes regional boards to reject development based on environmental, social, and fiscal concerns.
