A public hearing is scheduled to be held this month regarding a rezoning application in Medaryville to allow a Dollar General to be built in what is currently a residential area. The hearing will take place before the Advisory Plan Commission at the Pulaski County Courthouse, located at 112 E. Main St. in Winamac.
Foster Builders, Inc. have applied for the rezoning ordinance to allow 103 W. West St. in Medaryville to be made a commercial property to allow a 9,100 square foot Dollar General building, single-story, to be built. The application and all submitted documentation are available for review Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Winamac Building located at 125 S. Riverside Drive, Suite 150, in Winamac.
Town Council member Derrick Stalbaum told WKVI that this proposal, if it goes through, could bode well for the town.
“Personally, I feel that it is going to be a great thing for Medaryville if it does happen. I think that with a facility in the town of Medaryville that is going to provide basic grocery needs, and some other things as well, it is definitely something that we currently do not have in town, and I know that when I need something, I always need to go to Winamac or Valpo or somewhere farther away. Currently, the only place to go in town to get any type of grocery item are the local gas station convenience stores, and the things that we need are at a much higher price there,” said Stalbaum.
He said the central location of the business would bring not only convenience to area residents, but out-of-towners as well who may be interested in cutting down their travel time to purchase groceries or other items that would otherwise be unavailable.
“I think from a convenience aspect, I think it’s going to be a really great aspect to our town. I think it’s also from an economic aspect, it’s going to bring in more people from the country. There’s nothing along 421 similar to a Dollar General, with the exception of going to Monon, so having something here, kind of centrally located, I think will get a lot of business from San Pierre and from Radioville and from the outside country areas,” said Stalbaum.
Stalbaum said it would be beneficial as well for residents interested in finding a job; while the business likely wouldn’t bring in a massive number of jobs, it would provide a close-to-home employer looking to fill positions that don’t require a college education.
