by Robin Kemp
The Clayton County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to extend the moratorium on applications for new small-box discount stores. It also delays applications for the expansion of existing stores and alcohol licenses.
The extension, which passed as a consent agenda item, goes into effect Aug. 30 and runs through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 14.
The original resolution is nicknamed the “dollar store moratorium” by county residents who say they are fed up with the spread of dollar stores and other low-budget retail outlets.
On March 3, the BOC held a public hearing on the issue, during which residents complained about having too many of the small retail chains in Clayton County.
According to the resolution, a “small box discount store” is “a retail store that is 16,000 square feet or less in size, which offers for sale a variety of convenience shopping goods and continuously offers the majority of the items in their inventory for sale at a price lower than traditional retail stores.”
The resolution specifically excludes “stores that contain a pharmacy, sell gasoline or diesel fuel, or primarily sell specialty food items (i.e. meats, seafood, cheese, or oils and vinegars).”
During the extended moratorium, the county says it will continue to study the issue and “intends to continue considering revisions to the Code of Clayton County…designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the County’s residents and businesses.”
