Though plans for the proposed Family Dollar store development got the green light from the Richmond Hill City Council at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting, the developer still faces a challenge.
All four requests from TRC-Richmond Hill regarding the development, proposed to be located at the corner of Mulberry Drive and Highway 17, were approved 3-1 by the council but also require the developer to pay for a traffic light to be installed at the intersection. Council member John Fesperman cast the nay vote.
Fesperman said to ask the developer, who has met all city requirements regarding the property, to pay for the installation of a traffic light was simply “not right.”
“I think the developer has met all the requirements for the property,” Fesperman said after the meeting. “It’s zoned commercial and he wasn’t asking any variances and he has gone above and beyond.”
Fesperman added he didn’t believe it should the developer’s responsibility to pay for the light.
“I think it would be a nice gesture for him to offer, but I do not think he should have to pay for the light,” Fesperman said.
Todd Dempsey, who spoke on behalf of TRC Richmond Hill, told the council in addition to the basic city requirements, the developer had met all the additional requests from the council including a brick façade, additional buffering and the completion of a traffic study, which showed the development would have a “negligible impact” on the traffic in the area.

Read more in the April 7 edition of the News.