A planned Family Dollar store has some Winston-Salem residents concerned about the future of their neighborhood. This is the latest example of Triad residents trying to exert control over commercial development.
Several dozen residents of the Washington Park Neighborhood Association asked the Winston-Salem City Council to impose a moratorium to stop both new development and demolition for the next nine months.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports the group wants to work with the city to come up with new zoning regulations.
They told the council at Monday night's meeting that chain stores such as Family Dollar would detract from the historic character of the neighborhood, and would result in increased crime and more traffic.
Council member Molly Leight says that a moratorium may not pass legal muster in light of current zoning laws. But Leight, whose ward includes Washington Park, suggests that residents and city-county planners may be able to join forces in planning small business development.
A neighborhood group last year was successful in derailing a proposed Trader Joe's grocery store in Greensboro.
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