THOMASTON, Maine — The town’s planning board will consider Tuesday a proposal for a Dollar General store to be built on Route 1 next to the former state prison property.
The project, which would be built on the northeast side of the Strong Agency insurance building, is being proposed by Franklin Land Associates LLC of Brentwood, Tennessee. Dollar General’s corporate headquarters is located in nearby Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
The property is 1.73 acres and is owned by Jlinn LLC, which includes John Miller of Thomaston.
Dollar General has more than 12,000 stores in 43 states, according to the company’s website. Its 12 stores in Maine are concentrated in central and southern Maine.
The company generally looks to occupy stores of approximately 9,000 square feet, according to its website.
The planning board will discuss the proposal at its next meeting, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Watts Hall.
Planning Board member Jeff Creighton said Monday that there are design standards that the company will have to meet. Those standards are aimed at making any commercial development in that area look as residential as possible. Townspeople voted in those standards for any development in the Thomaston Common area, which includes the former prison property.
Town Manager Valmore Blastow said some people may feel the zoning is not restrictive enough to protect the historic village atmosphere, which was the intent of the design standards.
“However, I believe the ambiance can be maintained if the application of the intent of the zoning is applied properly,” Blastow said Monday.
A telephone message left Monday morning with Dollar General’s marketing department was not immediately returned.
The town has been trying to encourage development for years on this section of Route 1.
After a special town meeting in September 2012, the town built roads, sewer and water lines on the former property known as Thomaston Green.
The 2012 vote allowed $250,000 in improvements to go forward even though no lots had been sold. Residents also agreed at that meeting to authorize selectmen to sell four lots in Thomaston Green that abut Route 1 that would be reserved for commercial development. Residents also voted to allow selectmen to sell two lots to the rear of Thomaston Green that would be developed as residential units.