DeKalb County votes to extend moratorium on dollar stores

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County last month placed a 45-day moratorium on new so-called small, discount box stories. Those shops include the Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar General. Tuesday, the extended that moratorium another 45 days in a unanimous vote.

The Commission has since made plans to extend that moratorium, but not everyone is on board. Some residents said not everyone can afford Walmart and Target's prices, especially those on a tight or fixed budget.

App users click here to read the resolution.

There are already 68 stores in the county and some commissioners believe that has led to an oversaturation in some areas. The concern is research which suggests such stores create "food deserts," where grocery stores, which offer a wider variety and often healthier types of food, cannot compete, so they close the underperforming stores.

Store representatives said the locations are only meant to supplement grocery stores, not replace them. They tout the stores' convenience and affordability.

The Commission held a public hearing on the issue Tuesday before the vote. Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who supported the moratorium, said they will work to dig deeper on the impact of the stores during the 180-day moratorium.