Fairfield to decide soon whether to allow Nepali grocery in neighborhood

Credit: Michael D. Pitman

Credit: Michael D. Pitman

Fairfield City Council is expected to decide in two weeks whether to allow a Nepali-oriented grocery store to move next to a Walgreen’s and within a residential neighborhood.

Council held a modification request to a planned unit development at 4630 Pleasant Ave., about a month after the city’s Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend denial of the plan.

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Council could go against the Planning Commission’s recommendation, but city staff is recommending 14 conditions for approval, including not having any display racks or merchandise visible from the western window, only one “open” sign permitted and the store’s hours not extending later than 9 p.m. without prior Planning Commission approval.

The building, a former chiropractic office, is along the city’s northern border and zoned as a planned unit development that was approved in 2001. Walgreen’s is to the north of the vacant building and is surrounded by residential housing to the east, south and west.

Narayan Dhungel, the owner of the building, is seeking approval to make two minor modifications to the building — adding doors and removing windows — to transform the former vacant office building into a small grocery store that would serve 40 to 50 people a day. Residents had voiced opposition to the grocery store at a public hearing six weeks ago, and at the Planning Commission meeting last month.

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Ron Roberto, Re/Max real estate agent for client Dhungel, who lives in Cincinnati and is native to Nepal, previously said the grocery store “is going to appeal to the Asian market,” and likely will have some staple supplies, such as toiletries, similar to the neighboring Walgreen’s, which is also a part of the PUD.

Jim Howell, of Pleasant Avenue, said he believes the area would decline if a grocery store moves in and doesn’t want to see the city “settle” to get the building occupied.

Harry Bown, of Pleasant Avenue, also said a grocery store would be detrimental to the area. He said the building was to be a buffer between Walgreen’s and the residential areas.

City Council next meets on Jan. 28, and a vote on the grocery store could happen during this meeting.

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