Dollar General again to be before Wallowa County commissioners
Published 5:00 am Monday, February 17, 2025
- Customers exit the new Dollar General store in Wallowa on April 15, 2024. The Wallowa County Board of Commissioners will again hear from an appellant of its decision to deny an appeal of a building permit allowing Dollar General to build on the outskirts of Wallowa last year when it meets Feb. 19, 2025, at the courthouse in Enterprise.
ENTERPRISE — Dollar General has been operating since last spring, but opponents of such a formula store haven’t given up their protests.
Michael Eng of Lostine will seek a follow-up report Wednesday, Feb. 19, from the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners on the board’s Oct. 31 decision denying an appeal of Dollar General’s permit approval.
In that decision, the commissioners included conditions pertaining to traffic at the Dollar General site just outside of Wallowa. The commissioners said in the decision they would direct the county planning commission to ensure county ordinances comply with state law.
Eng said he is prepared to file a citizen initiative if the commissioners don’t change ordinances to comply with state law.
“We want to hold the commissioners accountable to make sure they comply with state law,” he said.
He agreed it is too late to shut Dollar General down and the appellants have missed the window to appeal to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, the next highest agency that could hear an appeal.
Also on the Feb. 19 agenda for the county board meeting:
• Gregg Kleiner will present an overview on behalf of the Joseph Branch Trail Consortium of the draft refinement plan for the Minam-to-Wallowa trail section.
• Considering the preliminary approval of a shared well agreement Paige Sully of Enterprise requested.
• Considering intergovernmental agreements between the county assessor’s office and the city of Joseph and Oregon Housing and Community Services.
• Setting a date for the next commissioners meeting,
