Interesting analysis. However, I would like to know whether retail leakage in Fairlee, omitting Dollar Store sales, has risen or fallen since the store arrived. An additional shopping destination might bring extra visits to Fogg's, Chapman's, the hairdresser, etc. For the record, I shop at Dollar General only in moments of desperation, e.g., Chapman's closed and Christmas present must be wrapped and mailed, no paper left.... or when they have something no one else in town has.
A little background. When the Dollar General came to town Fairlee had absolutely no regulatory means to stop the development. The bylaw was woefully outdated, the electorate divided on whether there should be zoning in the first place, and there was a basic malsie in what was seen as a dying village.
At least DG coming to town focused the mind and began a dialog. We are now ten years out. We have a robust Town Plan, Unified Development Bylaw, an activated and educated Selectboard, local citizen groups which spouted eight years ago have matured into a force for community life. The Town now takes its future seriously and a real consensus supporting housing and scaled economic development.
As the planning professional in town a DG would not have been my druther to inspire this village renaissance but you use what you have at hand, this would not be the first town whose revitalization was trigged this way. The best is yet to come, we are beginning to see the fruits of a decade worth of study, planning and hard work.
I hesitate to defend Dollar General because I abhor plastic and the exploitation of workers in poor countries, but I agree with Mike that they are the new Woolworths. They fill a need for people who may not drive or be internet savvy (elderly & low income residents). Maybe we need to integrate them into our downtowns by requiring them to locate in existing empty buildings and ensuring that their outside appearance is consistent with the character we want our towns to have.
Nailed it! And much like the trend Wal-Mart started over 30 years ago, copied by all the big box stores, most of thier products are cheaply made in Asia, which in itself continues to promote unfair labor practices worldwide, and undermines the strength of the US economy. It is more than just a small town problem but a threat to the security of our nation. Thank you for breaking down the 'myths'.
Interesting analysis. However, I would like to know whether retail leakage in Fairlee, omitting Dollar Store sales, has risen or fallen since the store arrived. An additional shopping destination might bring extra visits to Fogg's, Chapman's, the hairdresser, etc. For the record, I shop at Dollar General only in moments of desperation, e.g., Chapman's closed and Christmas present must be wrapped and mailed, no paper left.... or when they have something no one else in town has.
A little background. When the Dollar General came to town Fairlee had absolutely no regulatory means to stop the development. The bylaw was woefully outdated, the electorate divided on whether there should be zoning in the first place, and there was a basic malsie in what was seen as a dying village.
At least DG coming to town focused the mind and began a dialog. We are now ten years out. We have a robust Town Plan, Unified Development Bylaw, an activated and educated Selectboard, local citizen groups which spouted eight years ago have matured into a force for community life. The Town now takes its future seriously and a real consensus supporting housing and scaled economic development.
As the planning professional in town a DG would not have been my druther to inspire this village renaissance but you use what you have at hand, this would not be the first town whose revitalization was trigged this way. The best is yet to come, we are beginning to see the fruits of a decade worth of study, planning and hard work.
I hesitate to defend Dollar General because I abhor plastic and the exploitation of workers in poor countries, but I agree with Mike that they are the new Woolworths. They fill a need for people who may not drive or be internet savvy (elderly & low income residents). Maybe we need to integrate them into our downtowns by requiring them to locate in existing empty buildings and ensuring that their outside appearance is consistent with the character we want our towns to have.
So well written and researched. Thank you for contributing to the conversation. I hope you can mobilize towns and citizens before it's too late.
Nailed it! And much like the trend Wal-Mart started over 30 years ago, copied by all the big box stores, most of thier products are cheaply made in Asia, which in itself continues to promote unfair labor practices worldwide, and undermines the strength of the US economy. It is more than just a small town problem but a threat to the security of our nation. Thank you for breaking down the 'myths'.