Dollar General vs. the Neighborhood: Who Usually Wins the Zoning Fight?

By T.W. Shortt, CRS®, CRB®, Broker, REALTY WORLD Knox Realty Group, LLC

At 2305 Hodgenville Road outside Elizabethtown, a proposed Dollar General has raised a familiar question in Hardin County: What happens when a developer wants to bring commercial use into an established neighborhood?

Rafferty Development has sought to rezone the approximately two-acre property from residential to neighborhood commercial for a new store. Nearby residents have organized in opposition, raising concerns about traffic, lighting, drainage, neighborhood character, and possible effects on an adjoining cattle farm.

The proposal has also touched the family living on the property.

In an October 23 article, The News-Enterprise reported that Wesley and Kristen Thornhill and their two sons had faced months of uncertainty over a possible sale. The family was told they would have 60 days to move once the property sold. They have since purchased land in Grayson County and plan to start fresh.

The zoning process has taken an unusual turn. Rafferty withdrew its application before an October 13 hearing, then reapplied later that day, according to the newspaper. A public hearing was tentatively anticipated for November 17. The planning commission had not ruled on the proposal when the newspaper reported the story.

So who wins a contest like this?

The zoning matters

The answer often begins with the property’s existing zoning.

If land is already zoned for commercial use, and a proposed development satisfies applicable requirements for access, parking, drainage, setbacks, and landscaping, a developer generally has a stronger position. Opposition to a particular retailer alone may not prevent an otherwise permitted use.

The situation differs when a developer seeks to change residential or agricultural zoning to commercial.

Under Kentucky law, before a zoning map amendment is granted, the planning commission or governing body must find that it agrees with the adopted comprehensive plan—or make certain alternative findings specified by law. apps.legislature.ky.gov

That gives residents an opportunity to present evidence about how the proposed development relates to surrounding property, infrastructure, and the community’s plans. The strongest case focuses on land use and the site’s facts.

Developers have resources, too. They may retain engineers, attorneys, and traffic consultants. They may revise an entrance, offer buffers, address drainage concerns, or pursue a different location.

The view from the landlord’s side

I have seen the Dollar General model from another perspective. I was the landlord of a shopping center that included a top-producing Dollar General.

Customers saw a convenience store. Dollar General saw a strategic location. As the landlord, I saw a national tenant that generated rental income and helped support the center’s value.

That experience taught me that a store is only one part of a larger transaction. Behind the yellow sign are decisions about land, zoning, construction, leases, and long-term investment.

What happens next?

Who will win on Hodgenville Road? That question remains open. The developer has reapplied, neighbors keep organizing, and the proposal has not yet received a final zoning decision.

Economic growth and convenient shopping have value. So do established neighborhoods, compatible land uses, and a meaningful opportunity for residents to participate.

The question is whether this commercial development belongs on this particular property.

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Sources: Greg Thompson, “Local family’s rented home in limbo amidst Dollar General proposal,” The News-Enterprise, October 23, 2026; Kentucky Revised Statutes 100.213.

Editor’s note: The November 17 hearing date was described as tentative in the October 23 newspaper report.