Chester Vermont

I can't see Chester classing down to hosting a Dollar General! What an eyesore for such a beautiful, quaint town. It changes the whole feel of our town. If we need something chintzy let's just take the 10 minute drive to the Dollar General in Springfield and get it there. There is no need to do this to OUR TOWN.

I highly think that Chester could use a Dollar General because there are some people who live in Chester who don't drive and it would be convenient for everyone.

Dollar General is not chintzy. I'm a taxpayer here in Chester and I highly think that Chester is too of a high pricey town. We need a store for the common residents, along with shops for the rich tourists.

It really irritates me that high-class people with money would rule how Chester should be, and not listen to the low class ones that are really trying to make a living. Not everyone wants to go to Springfield.

I strongly vote for having a Dollar General in Chester!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In response to Kelly's comments: Dollar General does offer online shopping. If you have access to the internet, you can shop online from the comfort of your home without need of a car.

Also, this isn't an issue of class or elitism. This is about the long-term negative impact that a big-box store can have on a community. Bringing in a store selling chintzy products is myopic. If you look at communities with established dollar stores, you'll likely see that their economies are depressed. Not many tourists want to spend money in a depressed area. But that's the impression people are going to see when they pass the DG sign on their way to Okemo. They'll think twice about spending money in Chester and might contemplate spending it in Ludlow or points farther north.

An article I read about the new Dollar General in Pownal stated that the actual number of employees hired for that new store (six to 10) was less than the figures they quoted to get the project approved (15).

Another article stated that earlier this year Pownal lost a long-time hardware store. The owners said they were closing the store due to lagging sales and “stiff competition from larger outlets.”

Do you honestly believe a large, national publicly traded corporation gives a hoot about the well-being of the community in which it plants a store? Google “Dollar General Recalls” to look at many of the substandard items they sell: faulty heaters; Chinese-produced toys in violation of U.S. lead laws; melamine poisoned dog food, etc. But you saved a dollar and the corporation turns a profit. That's the bottom line; we're merely a statistic.

If you really want to see more for sale signs in town (and houses that sit and never sell), by all means open a Dollar General Store. Ultimately, this will result in less tax revenue for the town, as housing prices and sales will drop. We need to work to rebuild this town through more businesses with local character -- newer places like the Pizza Stone, MacLaomainns, Country Girl and Stone Hearth succeed with local appeal. Dollar General is a disaster for Chester -- a long, slow trek to becoming a formerly wonderful town.

If you check, Manchester does have a Dollar Tree store right in downtown. Is that not a very similar type of store as a Dollar General? And how has that store had a negative impact on that quaint tourist-attracting Vermont village?

I was born and raised in Chester, lived in Chester and have lived in other states and areas from city to small town, and have not sensed it being more negative than positive, and am not aware of local businesses being forced out of business.

If you are concerned that allowing a Dollar General in town will bring the large box stores that can mar the quaint Vermont village, I do not believe that this area has the population density that will cause large box stores to want to locate in our rural town and cause our local business to close.

I believe that a store of this type would be a plus for the area and not affect the specialized local businesses significantly. Also, where is the concern for our senior citizens who do not have easy access to shop?

My belief is that the positives out-weigh the potential negatives and my family and I do not oppose this business in Chester.

I would not really consider Manchester quaint. It's a destination for shoppers and bargain hunters. "Convenience" has been the only justification I have heard from endorsers of the Dollar General. Those who rate convenience so highly might find a larger city to their liking. I have never heard anyone list convenience as a factor for living here. If you don't believe our town has the population to support a large box store, why do you suppose a 9,000-square-foot Dollar General wants to come into town? Do we opt for community or for convenience? Fast food is convenient right?