Staff Writer
SOUTHAMPTON—While in many communities approval for the construction of a new Dollar General (DG) store might not cause much of a stir, for Southampton Township residents (including those who live in the LeisureTowne subdivision), who up to now have had to go to nearby towns to shop for many everyday commodities, the announcement that work is expected to begin within a few months to build one here is groundbreaking news.
What it means is that those living in the Southampton vicinity will soon have the convenience of being able to purchase items ranging from paper towels, toilet paper and garbage bags to health and beauty products, household cleaners, batteries, school supplies and items of apparel, to say nothing of seasonal décor, housewares, inexpensive gifts and even various groceries and snack items, without having to leave town—and at competitive prices (with the added incentive of $5 coupons that often are included on sales receipts).
When it eventually opens, the new Dollar General will be added to the retail chain’s more than 17,000 outlets throughout the country, which offer an inventory that includes both brand-name products and those bearing the DG label. (Dollar General, despite its name, is not a “dollar store,” though many items are available for a dollar.)
The 9,265-square-foot, one-story retail store, which will be located at 1823 Route 206, or near the Vincentown Post Office and Southampton Auto Center, was approved by the Southampton Township Planning Board in a 7-0 vote during its Feb. 4 meeting. It will be the first major retail operation of its kind in the township, where currently the only other chain stores are Tractor Supply, which specializes in farm, garden, home-improvement and related merchandise, and Wawa, which has two local outlets.
Attorney Duncan Prime, representing the developer, Birmingham, Ala.-based firm Capital Growth Buchalter (CGB), doing business locally as Southampton DG, LLC, told this newspaper in an email that the firm would be making some final revisions to the approved plan based on comments received from the board’s engineers and working through the final New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) permitting process, which the firm hopes to have done in three to four months, after which it expects to start construction. It is hoping to start construction at some point shortly thereafter. He also confirmed that CGB has agreed to purchase the 3.3- acre wooded lot at 1823 Route 206.
Paul Mutch, an engineer with CGB, who was present during the planning board session, said the Southampton Dollar General will be open every day from 7 a.m. or 8 a.m., until 10 p.m., and will employ eight to 10 total people, or what will be two to four people per shift.
A single tractor trailer truck will make weekly deliveries to the location, and a box truck will deliver fresh goods, such as eggs and milk, on a daily basis, he added.
According to Mutch, the 46 parking spaces for both patrons and employees that the plan calls for are more than was believed necessary, but were requested by the township in case business exceeds expectations, or a future establishment were to be constructed next door.
“The purpose of Dollar General is to provide a wide range of goods, but centered on groceries, paper products, health and beauty – and bring them closer to the centers of populations,” contended Creigh Rahenkamp, a planner who also represented CGB during the meeting at which the project was approved. “In general, the more of these that are in an area, the shorter the vehicle miles traveled to get to satisfy your shopping needs. If you need diapers, this is whole lot closer than the 80,000 or 100,000 square foot shopping center, and you’re not spending a lot of time in a giant parking lot. This is a way of enriching the local retail community and shortening trips for the people of Southampton needing to fill their retail needs.”
At present, the nearest Dollar General to the project site is located in Pemberton Township, about nine miles away.
No significant discussion transpired between the board members about the application, which was for both a major site plan and minor subdivision, nor did any members of the public comment at the meeting prior to the roll call vote.
The facility’s entrance, according to Mutch, might possibly be shared with another future commercial development on a neighboring seven-plus acre site situated between the store and the post office, which will comprise the rest of the proposed subdivision but is not included in the current purchase agreement.
“This driveway is intended to be shared with the neighbor,” Mutch said. “The NJDOT will not allow for two access points along Route 206 in this area, so instead, we’ve provided a separated, full-movement driveway. We will provide an access easement to the owner of the remainder lot, so if there ever is a future development out on that lot, they have access off the state highway through this driveway. There has been a lot of planning for the future as part of this application.”
Deputy Mayor Ronald Heston, also a member of the planning board, noted in a telephone interview with this newspaper that “a commercial establishment of this magnitude is very advantageous not only for Southampton residents, but also for those who travel through Southampton.”
“It will be an asset to the community,” Heston added. “It was designed with curb appeal in mind, and will assist those who need something right away, or are traveling home from work.”
The project of about 15 months in the making had experienced a “delay” in developing a complete application, according to Prime, because of the time spent coming up with a design for the septic system that would service the property effectively and meet the requirements of the township’s engineers.
Prime said he was unable to disclose the dollar amount involved in the acquisition, and Susan Crain, a spokeswoman for CGB, could provide no further details, given that the project is still in its early stages.
CGB is a construction, development, investment and management firm with more than 66 years of experience in managing more than 1,000 projects and $1.4 billion of real estate across multiple states and industry sectors, according to its website. It is also a preferred developer of Dollar General stores.
The planned retail store is a permitted use where it is located inside the township’s Highway Commercial District. The location falls outside the jurisdiction of the Pinelands Commission.
A single-family home sits at 146 Red Lion Road, directly behind the space to be occupied by the Dollar General. The same individual who owns the home, Catherine Haas, according to the tax map, also owns the more than 10 acres of land being subdivided in the Dollar General application, as well as other surrounding parcels in the same area.
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