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Plans are in the offing for two new stores along the U.S. 11 north corridor – a Dollar General Marketplace at Fairfield and a 7-Eleven convenience store and BP gas station at Timber Ridge.
The Rockbridge County Tourism Corridor Review Board will consider site plans for both construction projects when it meets today, Wednesday, July 5, at 4 p.m., in the county administration building.
The Dollar General Marketplace would have 12,480 square feet of floor space and be constructed on a vacant site at the northwest corner of the intersection of North Lee Highway (U.S. 11) and Sterrett Road (Va. 710). The plans call for subdividing 1.6 acres for the store and a 40-space parking lot from a 3.192acre tract. LE&D Professionals has submitted a site and landscaping plans, proposed building elevations with color schemes and building materials, a signage plan and a lighting plan.
The 7-Eleven store is to be built on the site of a closed restaurant in front of the Days Inn Motel on U.S. 11 just off of Interstate 81’s Exit 195 interchange. The existing structure (formerly an Aunt Sarah’s and more recently a Muchacho Alegre restaurant) is to be razed. In its place will be built a new 5,952-squarefoot convenience store. In front of the building will be a canopy that would overhang four gas pumps. Applicant for the site plan is Umesh Gandhi of Shri Sairam Inc.
A proposed free-standing sign would be 22 feet tall, which is 7 feet taller than what is allowed by the county’s sign regulations without justification for additional height in order to be seen at an appropriate distance from the fronting road. The applicant is being required to bring in photo simulations to show why the extra height is needed.
The proposed Dollar General and 7-Eleven stores are just the latest commercial construction projects going up in the county. Others include a new Residence Inn by Marriott off of U.S. 60 and the U.S. 11 bypass behind Pizza Hut just east of Lexington; a new Starbucks in a former bank building in the College Square Shopping Center, off of U.S. 11 just north of Lexington; a new Tru by Hilton hotel, Dunkin’ Donuts and Chick-fil-A off of Econo Lane, near the intersection of U.S. 11 and Interstate 64. Ground was broken just this past week for the Chick-fil-A.
