CASCADE – Residents of this small mountainside town will ramp up their opposition to a proposed Dollar General Market at an upcoming community meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16, at the Top Secret Taproom in adjacent Fort Ritchie.
The summit event, hosted by the Committee to Protect Our Mountain from Dollar General, will provide updates on the ongoing legal battle and seek community consensus on new steps and strategies informed by the ongoing legal proceedings against the project.
Attendees at the meeting will get an update from the committee’s attorney, Michele Rosenfeld, on the status of the case in the Appellate Court of Maryland, where a hearing is scheduled for late November or early December. Community members can share concerns and suggestions.
Tory Fitzgerald, the committee’s community outreach representative, said the group has been preparing behind the scenes since a June 29 fundraiser raised $16,000 for legal fees.
“We are going to let the community know about our legal position, where we are in terms of future court dates and expected outcomes,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re also to share with the community some new strategies that we’ve been working on behind the scenes.”
She described the session as a town hall that will seek feedback. “We want to hear opinions on what we’ve done so far and how they feel about our recommendations moving forward,” Fitzgerald said. No fund raising is planned, though T-shirts will be available.
The proposal to build a DG Market in the sleepy town dates back to 2022, when Outdoor Contractors Inc. sought a special exception to construct the store adjacent to Fort Ritchie. The Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals approved it twice, deeming the store similar to a permitted grocery in the Rural Village zone.
The committee appealed both decisions to the Circuit Court. In May 2023, Judge Joseph Michael remanded the case, ruling that the board lacked justification for the approval. An October 2024 remand directed the board to examine prohibited uses, such as general merchandise, and either deny the project, impose conditions, or hold new hearings. Both sides appealed the latest ruling.
Committee attorney Rosenfeld has argued the store does not fit the zone. In a July statement, she noted that only about a third of the floor space is for food products, and that “It functions more like a convenience store, such as Sheetz, than a grocery.”
Outdoor Contractors Inc. and Dollar General have never commented on the opposition to the project. The company announced plans in March 2025 to close nearly 100 stores nationwide due to sales forecasts.
The pushback focuses on the impacts on local businesses and the rural character. Sanders Market, opened in 1956, serves as a community hub for subs and local meats. A 2023 Institute for Local Self-Reliance report cited by residents indicates dollar stores can reduce local grocery sales by 30 percent or more.
Two Dollar General stores already operate nearby: one 1.7 miles away in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, and another 5.8 miles away in Waynesboro. Concerns include traffic, litter and effects on wildflower fields. A Change.org petition has over 500 signatures, and the committee’s Facebook group has 1,200 members.
The June fundraiser at the Tap Room drew over 150 people and raised more than $12,000. Total funds exceed $50,000. A welcomed Fort Ritchie revival, led by developer John Krumpotich since 2021, has added over 200 jobs through shops and residences. New trails and a veterans’ memorial opened in June 2025.
Fitzgerald said the group remains ready to keep fighting. “Our mindset is still very optimistic,” she said. “We just need a few more to get people to notice us.”
Both sides await the appellate ruling, with Outdoor Contractors evidently still planning to proceed despite the closures of other DG stores.
