Residents bristled at the prospect of a Family Dollar store coming to Mancos at the Town Board of Trustees meeting last week.<\/p>\n
Then, at a special meeting Monday, the town board voted unanimously for a six-month moratorium on commercial businesses more than 5,000 square feet. They\u2019ll use the window to investigate the issue in more depth.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need time to educate ourselves and our land-use code to determine if large commercial retails stores should be allowed, and where they should go,\u201d said clerk\/treasurer Heather Alvarez.<\/p>\n
Last Wednesday, Mayor Rachael Simbeck asked the audience to raise their hands so the board could gauge public opinion. The count was one in favor, 15 against. In Monday\u2019s sequel, 37 raised their hands in opposition. Again, one person supported the idea.<\/p>\n
The opponents, all of one mind, nominated David Franks to speak on their behalf last week. Franks worried that a discount retailer and national chain like Family Dollar would dilute both Mancos\u2019 support for local businesses and its cherished Western theme. He said the town\u2019s land-use code should be oriented toward \u201ckeeping the chain atmosphere in check,\u201d and feared welcoming a Family Dollar would invite more cookie-cutter retailers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d rather my neighbor own the businesses (I visit),\u201d he said, to nods of approval from those seated.<\/p>\n
Alvarez tried to mollify the crowd, saying Family Dollar had not yet purchased any property and had not submitted business or zoning applications. The only signal of Family Dollar\u2019s interest in Mancos is a sign application, which Alvarez returned because it was incomplete. The lot in question, at the northwest intersection of U.S. highways 160 and 184, is zoned \u201chighway business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any store is multiple steps away from approval, Alvarez emphasized, later adding that the controversy \u201ccame out of the blue\u201d and she was surprised residents had caught wind of it so early.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything will be handled publicly when an attempt is made,\u201d she said at Wednesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n
Aaron Herrmann was the sole supporter of Family Dollar in attendance. He chose not to speak on record before the board, but afterward he explained his point of view. He believes Mancos needs a place to purchase basic necessities beyond what is offered at the Conoco gas station and P&D Grocery. He framed his argument in environmental terms, saying a Family Dollar would cut down the number of car trips to Cortez or Durango. It also would generate more sales tax for the town, he said.<\/p>\n
Alvarez agreed that a budget chain like Family Dollar, stocked with plastic wares, is anathema to many locally minded Mancos residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a vision, a master plan, for how we want our town to grow and look. I don\u2019t know if a (Family Dollar) fits into that vision. That\u2019s where the concern comes from,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Trustee Chip Tuthill on Monday suggested an overhaul of the town\u2019s land-use code so it better reflects the community\u2019s wishes, and also to make it more defined.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now our code is loose,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is permit-by-right for retail commercial use, and it does not stop any particular business, so we could close that gaping loophole.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew Lauer, owner of Fahrenheit Coffee Roasters, advised the board to \u201cproceed with caution\u201d in preventing businesses from coming to Mancos. He recalled a positive experience when he started Fahrenheit. While Family Dollar \u201cis not the most appealing\u201d business, he warned against passing ordinances that prohibit \u201cpeople like me and my wife from coming to town and making a living.\u201d<\/p>\n
Family Dollar has more than 7,000 locations in 44 U.S. states. In 2011, the retailer caused a stir in another small Western Slope town. A group of citizens, outraged about Family Dollar\u2019s plans for an 8,000-square-foot store in Ridgway, called for a national boycott.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t work. The store was built.<\/p>\n
Last year, Family Dollar ranked 301st on the Fortune 500 list. It earned $388 million in profits on a total revenue of $8.5 billion.<\/p>\n