Residents of Cummington, Massachusetts, are pushing back against a possible plan to build a Dollar General store in their town.
Cummington is a town of about 900 people, 20 miles west of Northampton.
Its current retailers don't extend much beyond the local grocery co-op. That would change if a Dollar General store is built. A developer has applied for a special permit to construct a 9,100-square-foot store in the rural hilltown.
Resident Katy Eiseman is helping lead a petition drive to stop it. She says the store would not be in keeping with the character of the town.
"It would not be helpful for property values in the long run," she said. "And it's just a depressing presence in a rural community."
In a statement, Dollar General said that meeting customers needs is its top priority and that it takes community concerns into consideration.
The company said it hasn't decided yet whether it actually wants to build a store in Cummington, but expects to do so by the spring.