Dollar General gets ‘ok’ from city
By Suzanne Werre
Editor
The Underwood City Commission put out the proverbial welcome mat for Dollar General to come to Underwood, approving the Planning and Zoning Board’s recommendation to change the zoning of Outlot “D” on the east side of Underwood from “Agriculture” to “General Commercial” at its meeting Wednesday night.
Planning and zoning had met Feb. 26 to discuss the request made by Colby Series 19, LLC, that a portion of the agricultural land between ND Highway 83 and Underwood, just south of the bypass loop, be rezoned for commercial use. Nobody attended the meeting to voice opposition or concern regarding the change, and the board voted to recommend approval of the zoning change.
Rumors had been circulating for months that a “dollar store” of some sort could possibly be opening in Underwood soon, but until the planning and zoning meeting in February, no official requests had been made by any company to open a new retail space.
Colby Series 19, LLC, is the commercial developer that has developed several Dollar General stores, recently adding several stores in North and South Dakota. According to the Colby Capital Real Estate Development website, the lease start date for the 15-year lease on the 9100 sq. ft. building is Sept. 21, 2019.
Commissioner Patti Werre, who was also at the planning and zoning meeting, noted that even if people had shown up at that meeting with questions or concerns, or to oppose the zoning change, it probably would not have made a difference in the board decision.
“It’s going to impact Grimsley’s; it’s going to impact the grocery store; it’s going to impact Sodas, too – it’s not just one business that it’s going to impact. Everyone knew that has the possibility of happening, but it would have had to have been a mass of people that would have said ‘no, this is not what we want’,” said Werre, after the meeting. “Everything I’ve heard from the public has been it’s a good thing.”
