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Franklin County is positioned to get its ninth Dollar General after the County Commission narrowly approved a zoning change that will allow a new store to be built near the State Route 16-Rowe Gap Road intersection.

The commission approved rezoning about two acres on Jan. 17 from an R-1 single-family residential district to a C-1 commercial in an 8-7 vote which will allow a business to be built on the property.

William Anderson, Tyler Bauer, Johnny Hand, Bruce McMillan, Augustine “Spike” Hosch, Jarad Shetters, David Eldridge and Grant Benere supported the move.

In opposition were Carolyn Wiseman, Scottie Riddle, Dale Schultz, Charles Keller, Glenn Summers, Monica Baxter Jeffers and Lydia Curtis Johnson. James David Kelley was absent from the meeting.

The rezoning request was made by property owner Jeff Lowe with Berry Engineers LLC, based in Cleveland, Tennessee, handling the development.

Several residents spoke in opposition to the commission during a public hearing.

Residents said they were opposed to the development due to safety concerns. One said a detailed traffic study had not been concluded that would display how dangerous increasing traffic volume in the area would be.

Another resident said that even if a reasonable speed limit were posted, it wouldn’t be followed, and speeds in the area would reach 75 mph in a busy area, only adding to the danger level.

The Franklin County Regional Planning Commission approved to recommend the rezoning after fielding public input late last year.

Residents at that time also expressed concerns about traffic safety.

Resident Phillip Wilkerson cited the safety issue and said that Franklin County has eight Dollar General stores, and he sees no need for another one.

Other residents echoed Wilkerson’s assessment.

However, Chandler Hunt, with Berry Engineers, told the Planning Commission that Dollar General conducts research to assess the need for its stores before picking locations on which to build. He added that the store in question met the company’s standards for public demand.

Hunt said the new Dollar General stores have expanded the grocery item selections they offer which gives residents in rural areas more convenient shopping alternatives.

He told the Planning Commission that the Tennessee Department of Transportation would have to approve an entrance that would be safe in relation to traffic flow on State Route 16.

Commissioners questioned what the status of the TDOT study was on Jan. 17.

Ben Berry, principal engineer with the firm, told the County Commission that TDOT had given its approval for the project to proceed.