Residents voice concerns on special use permit

It was a packed house for the latest City Council meeting to discuss an important issue to residents of Perryville. A public hearing was held for citizens to voice their opinions on the special use permit to construct a 10, 640 square foot Dollar General Store at a property located on the southeast side of Highway 61 and Sutterer Place.
Multiple residents said that a Dollar General Store is not needed in Perryville.
“Another Dollar General does not improve the local flavor of Perryville. While that area may be developed in time, development needs to be a thoughtful plan with local businesses or businesses that fill a gap not currently available in our area,” Perryville resident Betty Phillips said. “The loudest voices in this opposition are from the people who live closest to this proposed change. They are long standing residents, business people and participants in this community. Their voices deserve to be heard and taken seriously as you make this decision. They are tax payers who vote. Another Dollar General will not add anything new to the community. It will not expand the tax base. It will be a duplication of services already available in Perryville. The negative effect will be on the existing stores that already offer the same products. If Rozier’s, Farm Fresh and Barnes Mart have a decrease in sales, employees will be laid off and these employees will lose both their income and their benefits.”
Much like Phillips, another resident noted that there is already another Dollar General Store within two miles, already in Perryville and more in the surrounding area, including the fourth in a 15-mile radius and ninth within 25 miles of Perryville.
Perryville resident Angela Swan cited several questions from a recently completed survey by city officials to help them with their Comprehensive Plan that has since been named Perryville 2045. One of those questions centered around what citizens would like to see in the future.
“More than half of the responses were on lifestyle centers and small-scale neighborhood retail. Standalone big box stores were least preferred.”
Swan said that now is not the time to remove land that could be used for future possible residential homes.

“The special use application is our first opportunity to act on the citizens stated concerns for growth,” Swan said. “Keeping that R-5 designation would keep with the priority for more housing and better diversity of housing. With that special use process, we have the opportunity to keep with our vision of keeping the community character and we can do that on a case-by-case basis, by leaving it R-5 and considering projects as they come.”
Swan went on to give an alternate vision of what that space could look like in 2045.
“Maybe a local bakery expands its offerings and becomes an anchor store for a village style plaza that houses other local businesses,” Swan said. “The businesses in that plaza would close early in the evening and closed on Sundays, which would complement the works schedules of the families that live nearby.”
No board members made comments during the public hearing and listened to the concerns of the residents. A decision on the permit will be made at the Jan. 2 meeting.
In other news, the board approved a resolution about entering into an agreement with the Perryville Development Corporation relative to contract addendum to Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreement and Option to Purchase Real Estate Agreement dated February 21, 2023. This purchase has been discussed with the Board previously and provides a 2-Phase process for the city to complete the purchase of the industrial park over the next 12 months.
The board approved a resolution with the Missouri Department of Health
and Senior Services relative to a grant for detection and mitigation of COVID-19 in
confinement facilities. This Department of Public Safety opportunity was first brought to our attention by the Perry County Sheriff’s Department and will help purchase necessary equipment and supplies for the new justice center. The sheriff’s department also received a similar grant and are helping direct efforts to ensure the city is not duplicating equipment and supplies.