North Carolina Town May Ban New C-Stores
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. -- The Southern Pines town council may prohibit any new convenience stores along major highways in the city limits due to concerns about aesthetics, reported Raleigh, N.C.-based News 14.
The council is expected to vote on prohibiting the construction of the stores on the town's major highways, which is something store operators don't understand.
Some store operators are wondering where the council wants them to build. "The specific areas that the town is saying they don't want convenience stores are the places that make the most sense for them to be," said managing operator of Fuel Mate convenience stores, Lowell Simon.
Town officials said there will still be plenty of places for the stores to go. "There would be other places in town in which they could locate," Sonnenberg said. "They just wouldn't be directly on the main corridor."
Convenience store businesses said the only people who will be hurt by the ordinance are those who live in Southern Pines. "A convenience store is supposed to be convenient for the people, for the citizens," Simon said. "We think we provide an important function and service to the community. Just about everyone needs gas."
Simon said if it is aesthetics the town is worried about, that can be controlled. He said to rid the major sections of town of convenience stores is wrong and could possibly fuel other towns to do the same thing.
The council is expected to vote on prohibiting the construction of the stores on the town's major highways, which is something store operators don't understand.
Some store operators are wondering where the council wants them to build. "The specific areas that the town is saying they don't want convenience stores are the places that make the most sense for them to be," said managing operator of Fuel Mate convenience stores, Lowell Simon.
Town officials said there will still be plenty of places for the stores to go. "There would be other places in town in which they could locate," Sonnenberg said. "They just wouldn't be directly on the main corridor."
Convenience store businesses said the only people who will be hurt by the ordinance are those who live in Southern Pines. "A convenience store is supposed to be convenient for the people, for the citizens," Simon said. "We think we provide an important function and service to the community. Just about everyone needs gas."
Simon said if it is aesthetics the town is worried about, that can be controlled. He said to rid the major sections of town of convenience stores is wrong and could possibly fuel other towns to do the same thing.