By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

The Lowndes County Commission cleared the way Monday for Karl Bell to sell property located next to the Dollar General for Family Dollar to build a new store in Hayneville.

The commission voted 3-0 to give Bell two easements to county-owned property (part of the Hayneville Plaza parking lot) for access by 18-wheelers and signage. Present for the meeting were Commission Chairman Robert Harris and Commissioners W. Dickson Farrior and Joseph Barganier.

“Family Dollar is planning to build a store here,” explained County Attorney Hank Sanders. He said the company wanted easements deeded to the land before it was purchased instead of deeding the easements directly to the company.

“So, the easement goes to Karl Bell, who owns the land and is selling the land to Family Dollar,” he said.

Sanders clarified that there are actually two easements granted, one for access to allow 18-wheelers to go in and out and the other allows signs to be erected.

He also said the grant of the easements includes a “right of reversion.”

It states that if Family Dollar does not build a store within six months and within 30 day of written notice, the easements revert back to the county.

At Sanders’ suggestion, the commission also voted to allow Commission Chairman Harris to execute the easements.

“Number one, it means jobs and a higher tax base for Lowndes County,” Harris said.

He said the new Family Dollar would help supplement some of the jobs that have been taken away from the county at White Hall.

A search warrant announced Friday by Attorney General Luther Strange ended with the seizure of more than 350 machines and an undisclosed amount of cash from Southern Star in White Hall.

“Hopefully, we will be able to continue to make Lowndes County grow and Hayneville, being the seat of the county, will help it to grow as well,” Harris said.

“It will be a good thing for the community, it will create some jobs and hopefully, it will keep some tax money in Lowndes County that might be going outside the county,” Farrior said. “And so I think it will be a good thing.”

Outgoing Hayneville Mayor Helenor Bell also commented on the prospect of a Family Dollar Store in town.

“More revenue for the town of Hayneville and more revenue for the county of Lowndes. It’s an excellent economic development project,” she said.

“We have the population to sustain a store like that,” Bell said. “And then it is going to provide jobs and revenues.”

Bell said the Family Dollar would be located fairly close to the Dollar General.

Karl Bell confirmed the property for Family Dollar is located next to Dollar General and the easements are on part of the parking lot for the Hayneville Plaza.