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DOVER – Residents of Jessica Drive and Northwood Drive went to the City Council on Monday to voice their concerns about plans to build an Aldi grocery store next to their homes.
The store would be built on a narrow, wooded 2. 4-acre lot on the north end of the city, between the First Christian Church of Dover, at 3029 N. Wooster Ave. , and the homes on the south side of Jessica Drive. The plans call for Aldi to erect a 6-foot fence around assets for the protection and privacy of others in the area.
The assets are currently owned by the church and the congregation is in the process of selling the land to Aldi.
Gloria Miller, who lives on Jessica Drive, told city officials she has considerations about the proposal.
“We’re concerned about traffic patterns and traffic lights,” he said. “This component of Wooster Avenue is already very busy. We have security issues. At some point, as soon as you get off Jessica Drive, it’s hard for us to get in. “and get out of there. As soon as Jessica Drive passes, the lanes are two-to-one. So we’ve noticed a lot of cases of accidents.
He said he also worried about the price of residents’ homes “because this Aldi will literally be in our backyard. “
“We would also like to be fully informed about rights. It’s new for us,” he said. We are simply citizens of Dover. We ask for the council’s involvement with us as citizens of Dover, not necessarily just to start a business. “
Sue Hartz, another Jessica Drive resident, said she was concerned about placing a sign between two residential areas.
“Northwood and Jessica are very nice, quiet residential neighborhoods,” she said. “We have a very diverse population living there. We have young families, we have retirees. We have a lot of other people running to be smart in our city. “We have teachers, social workers, police officers, firefighters. We have many other people here in Dover who have been here for many years and have worked for the smart people of this city. So, we ask ourselves: What are our rights?
Hartz said Aldi had options for places to place him in Dover.
“If we look at it from a commercial point of view, we have no alternative. We’re stuck there,” he said. Retirees probably wouldn’t get as much money for their homes. Real estate costs have been very high lately. We couldn’t move anywhere else and have the same house. “
Two representatives from Aldi attended the board meeting but spoke.
Mayor Shane Gunnoe explained how the rezoning procedure works.
“Right now, the city has won any request from Aldi, there’s no data from Aldi on what they would offer,” he said.
Rezoning a residential asset is a multi-step procedure in which neighbors would be informed, the mayor said. The first step would be for the developer to apply for rezoning. The planning commission would hear the request. There would be a public hearing, and everyone living within a two-hundred-foot radius would be notified. The commission would take into consideration the considerations of the residents.
If the plans call for rezoning, the matter would go to the city council. There would be another public hearing and then the council would vote on it, he said.
“Surely in this process everyone’s input will be heard,” Gunnoe said.
Dover First Christian Church also released a report on the proposed sale.
“In July 2023, Dover First Christian Church was approached by Aldi Inc. se about the option of purchasing vacant land owned by the church. This 2. 4-acre lot is located directly north of the existing building at 3029 N. Wooster Ave. ,” he said.
“On October 5, after much prayer and discussion, the congregation voted to sell the land to Aldi. We believe that an Aldi grocery store has the potential to be an asset to our community as it creates new jobs and cheap food. We are also excited about the opportunities this sale will create for our ministry. Dover First Christian Church is committed to loving and serving the Dover community, and this sale will allow us to continue that mission.
The church’s pastor, Josh Robinson, added, “We haven’t even signed an acquisition agreement yet. We have agreed to the promise of a handshake at this time. “
Contact Jon at 330-364-8415 or jon. baker@timesreporter. com.
This article gave the impression in The Times-Reporter: Dover citizens have explicit considerations about the proposed site for Aldi in
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