Toledo city council considers new regulations for dollar stores

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Toledo city leaders are considering new rules for dollar stores. From May until December, there was a moratorium on any new small box discount stores in a stretch of Dorr Street from Parkside to Collingwood. That moratorium recently expired and now city council is considering some new regulations for the businesses.

If you drive around Toledo you will see Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar General along with multiple smaller discount shops. In Toledo city limits, Dollar General has 20 locations. The owners of Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have 26. Now city council members are trying to determine if the city has too many and if new regulations need to be put in place to space out the stores.

There is also a question about the impact these stores have on communities that are lower income and dealing in some cases with a lack of fresh food options.

The Toledo Lucas County Plan Commission studied the dollar stores in Toledo and found that most, if not all, were lacking fresh, healthy food.

Crystal Ghassemi, a spokesperson for Dollar General, says each dollar store offers something different and they give customers the option to buy essentials at an affordable price.

“Dollar General is not a grocery store. Again we carry some food options based on consumer requests, but some of the items that opponents are deeming as unhealthy are also available in every convenience store, drug store and even grocery store throughout Toledo,” says Ghassemi.

The plan commission is recommending new zoning rules be put in place that require any new small box discount store be at least a mile away from a current store.

Toledo City Council’s zoning and planning committee had this topic on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting. The issue has been pushed until the meeting in mid-March.

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