LaGRANGE — Residents west of LaGrange may soon have a new place to stop for groceries and other retail household items.

Dollar General is applying to have a parcel at 46 Pyne Road — just off Roanoke Road — rezoned from residential to commercial use. The first of two public hearings on the proposed rezoning was held Tuesday at a Troup County Board of Commissioners’ meeting. Approval could come after a second public hearing Aug. 30.

The rezoning application was submitted by S.W. West LaGrange, which represents Dollar General and the landowners. If approved, the property would be combined with an adjacent piece of land on Pyne Road that butts up against Roanoke Road. The combined lot size would be slightly more than 2 acres and eventually home to a 10,640 square foot Dollar General Plus, according to the rezoning application.

The store would be slightly larger than the average Dollar General and feature more grocery options and refrigerated goods, said Jason Fritz of S.W. West LaGrange.

“It will have larger coolers, more grocery and bring about 10 to 12 jobs,” Fritz told commissioners. “It’s a larger store, and with that we expect it will bring more sales tax to the county.”

If approved and built, the store would be the ninth Dollar General in LaGrange.

Pete Patel, owner of the Discount Food Mart across the street from the parcel, said he had mixed emotions about a big-box style retailer opening so close to his business, which he’s owned for three years.

“I’m looking at it two different ways,” he said. “My groceries and nonfood items (sales) might go down, but you have to think positive. It may bring more traffic this way.”

He said he’s not worried about the Dollar General putting him out of business.

“It ain’t gonna happen,” he said confidently. “Dollar Generals are popping up everywhere, and other stores are still surviving. Why can’t I survive? They (Dollar General) are trying to compete with Walmart, but they are putting hurt on small business.”

One of the larger concerns Patel had involved traffic and the potential for accidents because of the sight line coming over a railroad bridge on Roanoke Road.

To mitigate the problem, Fritz said Dollar General is willing to install a 350-foot deceleration lane on Roanoke Road — a move that’s not required, but rather a good-faith move by the Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Dollar General.

The company is also willing to add more vegetation to act as a buffer between the store’s property and its neighbors.

Overall, the store is expected to look similar to other Dollar General stores. The four-sided structure will be of brick construction with several sets of shutters to break up the store’s facade.

The store will sell goods such as milk, bread, frozen foods, medicines, dry goods, general retail items and other household items.

Fritz said the company hopes to profit from the traffic headed toward West Point Lake and nearby Pyne Road Park.

A construction schedule has not been finalized.