MONTEREY TOWNSHIP, Mich. — The Dumont Lake Party Store, a long-standing community business in Allegan County, is worried that it will lose customers when a new Dollar General store opens across the street.
Todd Bursma and his wife, Penny, bought the Dumont Lake Party Store five years ago and have made upgrades to the store. However, they are concerned that the planned Dollar General store will put them out of business.
According to Bursma, the township says its hands are tied because the proposed Dollar General site is zoned commercially, and there is not much they can do to prevent the new store from opening.
Bursma has gathered nearly 500 signatures from customers who oppose the Dollar General store. He believes the attorney general should get involved and there should be stipulations that new Dollar General stores must be at least five miles away from existing businesses.
Residents like Paul Wolfram and Kim Emmons have also expressed concerns about Dollar General, saying the stores are often not clean and that they do not want the new store to put the local party store out of business.
The Township Planning Board meets next on March 10 at 7 p.m. at the United Methodist Church at 3022 130th Avenue. Bursma encourages residents to attend and voice their concerns about the proposed Dollar General store.
The next Township Board meeting is scheduled for March 3 at 7 p.m. at the Monterey Township Community Building.
To sign Bursma's petition, click here.
Disclosure: This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
*Editor's note: Previous versions of this article listed the date for the Township Planning Meeting simply as the date for the Township Meeting. In the interest of clarity, the article was updated to include both the Township Planning Board Meeting and the full Township Board Meeting dates. We appreciate viewers who've reached out to help us ensure accuracy in our reporting and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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