Family Dollar is looking to open a store in Ignacio, according to discussion at the Sept. 17 town board meeting.

"We had a discussion with Family Dollar. They are excited about trying to come to town," Town Manager Lee San Miguel told trustees. But he advised that the recently re-activated town planning commission is concerned about lot setbacks on a prospective location at Navajo Street and Goddard Avenue.

It will need a variance for a rear setback of one to two feet instead of the required 10 feet, he said. "That's the only way they can get it on that property," he said. But he noted the food distribution center next door also goes almost to the property line.

The old Sundown Bakery building also is a prospect.

"They don't have a property purchased," San Miguel said. "When they do, it will go to the board of adjustment first (to get needed variances) before the planning commission."

The building will be around 8,300 square feet, he said. The lot size needs to be around 150x150 feet.

The parking stalls shown by the company are 9x18 feet, versus 9x20 feet required by the town to accommodate the prevalence of long double-cab pickup trucks. "We'd have to have a variance for that, too," San Miguel said.

Town trustee and planning commission member Dixie Melton said that when the company representative gave his presentation, "the guy said they'd been trying for five years to find something. Based on the size of their building, they hadn't figured enough parking spaces."

Audience member Lana Jo Chapin said the town land use code doesn't allow a business to have a parking lot fronting on Goddard.

"I really want a dollar store here, but we're having trouble interpreting the code," she said. "They might have to apply for four or five variances for one project. Is it wise or even correct to encourage a project with these dimensions when it doesn't meet our current code?"

Chapin continued, "Four variances before they even have an application says to me they need to go back to the drawing board. It's great for the tax revenue (to have a store like this), but they are being steered down the wrong road, and they'll go away and build in another town."

San Miguel told the Times this week that three variances are more likely - setback, parking space length, and parking lot facing on Goddard.

Trustee Lawrence Bartley commented, "I hope we aren't trying to build Santa Fe here. If we want to attract people, there have to be changes."

Mayor Stella Cox told Chapin, "We as a board don't have the information that you are bringing."

New town development director Dan Naiman, who just started in the job last week, previously helped create Ignacio's downtown design guidelines. Regarding the frontage on Goddard Avenue, he said, "I think there's a lot of validity to screening parking from the street. It's one of the busiest roads in the state. You could end up with a ghetto... At this phase of their search, it's premature to start hitting them with guidelines."

He continued, "I think it's valid to try to get them to build here. We need to be a bit rigid about where we are willing to grant variances."

Naiman said the company representative told them the Family Dollar store in Bayfield is the busiest one in the state.

Responding to Bartley's comment, trustee Alison deKay said Santa Fe has a WalMart with the parking lot in front. "They aren't turning away their tax base," she said.

Melton said the company representatives "were directed to our codes. They had those available. When we pointed out that the parking spaces weren't the right size, they seemed surprised. But he had that information."

San Miguel suggested a stucco wall around the parking lot.

Naiman said the constraints can help sometimes by forcing creative problem-solving. "I think it's wonderful that they are looking here. But four variances is quite a bit," he said.