There will be a special Blytheville City Council meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Municipal Courtroom to discuss the proposed Dollar General on Sixth and Highland.
On March 23, the project won approval from the Blytheville Planning Commission, but a group of residents who live nearby are appealing the board's decision to the City Council.
Recently, city attorney Mike Bearden said he "erred on the side of caution" in recommending the appeal, which is being spearheaded by John Logan and Dan Ritchey, who is an attorney.
Last Tuesday, the city of Blytheville issued a building permit for Dollar General, but on Wednesday it suspended the permit, upon Bearden's suggestion.
Along with trying to nix the project, the group is asking the Council to rezone the property "to a use more compatible with other properties in the area," according to a five-page letter of appeal from Ritchey.
Ritchey contends a Dollar General -- or any store -- doesn't fit in the area, which is primarily residential and includes several expensive homes.
The closed Penn's Barbecue and a former antique store are currently on the site, which is zoned commercial.
The only reason the matter went before the Planning Commission was because the property is in an overlay district. The board ruled it met the criteria of the an overlay district.
Bearden said the group's standing to appeal stems from a sentence in Section 3.06 of the code book.
According to the city attorney, the only of the eight criteria the group could argue is whether the proposed land use is compatible with other properties in the area in which it is to be located and will not adversely affect them.
"In considering these Review Standards, the proposed land use is clearly not compatible with other properties in the area," Ritchey wrote. "The proposed land use will clearly have an adverse affect upon the other properties in the area. Facilitation of public convenience is not a factor, since the same or similar goods are amply available in a nearby clearly designed Commercial District (Kroger, Gary's Mart, Super D, Hays, Owens Drugs, Rothrocks Drugs, etc)."
mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com