A new Dollar General store took another step toward reality March 21 as the Litchfield City Council approved a variance request for the proposed site on North Sibley Avenue.
The City Council unanimously approved, with member Eric Mathwig absent, a variance to allow a smaller parking lot than required by ordinance.
Litchfield Planning Commission reviewed the site plan and variance request during its March 14 meeting and forwarded the plan to the City Council with its recommendation for approval. The plan for property at 702 Sibley Ave. N., submitted by Rod Hamby of Overland Group and Rodney Parrott of Overland Engineering, included request to reduce the 72 parking spots required by zoning ordinance to 30.
The plan calls for construction of a 9,100 square foot store (7,220 of retail space), which will face east, toward Sibley Avenue, with access to the store and parking lot from West Seventh Street. A memo from the applicants included an explanation of the typical Dollar General site and traffic generation, along with parking needs.
“The proposed parking, facilitated by the variance, appears to be adequate for the retail use of the site,” City Planner Hannah Rybak of WSB wrote in a memo to the City Council and Administrator David Cziok.
Plans also call for a 20-foot set back from the west property line, which will be used for public snow storage. The city currently uses the lot for snow storage.
The property owners also requested an easement vacation, which will be discussed at a future City Council meeting. An alley running through the center of the property was vacated previously, but an easement over the former alley remained. Positioning of the Dollar General building necessitates the easement be vacation to allow construction.
The building will be placed in the middle of the lot, surrounded by parking on the south and east sides, with a stormwater detention area on the eastern portion of the property.
Most of a brief conversation during the March 21 City Council meeting centered around landscaping trees that the Planning Commission recommended, with a minimum size of four caliper inches. Though initial drawings did not include trees, the applicants provided a plan to the Planning Commission that called for two red maple trees of 3 to 4 caliper inches, five swamp white oak trees of 3-4 calpier inches, and five emerald green arborvitae 4 to 5 feet tall when planted.
The plan also shows one wall sign at a total size of 28.1 square feet, well within ordinance limitations of two signs with a total of 40 square feet per sign. Nine mounted light fixtures also will be placed at various locations on the building, with no freestanding parking lot lighting proposed. The area is lighted by one streetlight at the corner of West Seventh Street and North Sibley Avenue.
