Former Mayor Ellen Glasser and two residents challenged Atlantic Beach commissioners over a plan to sell city land for a Dollar General grocery concept, questioning whether the store will reliably stock fresh food.

At the Tuesday, Aug. 25, City Commission meeting, Glasser said the proposal to sell a 1.25-acre parcel at 2880 Mayport Road to Teramore Development for $875,000 moved forward without adequate public process. She said there was no community input, no staff input, and no public process for selecting a realtor or conducting negotiations.

Glasser serves on the board of directors of the Beach Gazette, which first reported on the meeting. The outlet states board members have no editorial control.

The commission voted unanimously on Aug. 13 to begin negotiations for the sale. The parcel sits near the intersection of Mayport Road and Wonderwood. The city bought it in 1991 for possible utility expansion for the Buccaneer Trailer Park.

The proposed DG Market would occupy 8,000 to 10,000 square feet and offer fresh meat, produce, dairy, and frozen foods. Dollar General introduced the format in 2003. DG Market stores account for about 1% of the company's total locations.

Glasser said she visited a DG Market on Normandy Boulevard in Jacksonville and photographed what she described as sparsely stocked shelves. She argued the corridor already has a Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, the military commissary, the BEAM food pantry, and Walgreens.

Mayport resident Amy Krystal echoed those concerns. She described loading her children into the car to buy milk only to find none in stock, then paying double at a Walgreens or RaceTrac across the street.

Shellie Thole, who ran unopposed for Seat 5 on the Neptune Beach City Council, urged commissioners to conduct more due diligence before selling surplus property. She asked what guarantee exists that the store would stick to its fresh-food business model.

Commissioners push back

Mayor Curtis Ford said he spent nearly three years speaking with developers, realtors, and builders about the food desert on Mayport Road. He said he visited a DG Market in Palatka and found it clean and fully stocked.

"This is not a Dollar General store. This is a brand owned by Dollar General that is a DG Market," Ford said. "It is not the full-sized grocery that we are all used to but it is better than the zero that we have."

Commissioner Thomas Grant called the criticism based on one store's inventory "obtuse." He said the location could have been between deliveries or near closing time. Grant added that Mayport residents he spoke with called the proposal "an awesome idea."

Commissioners also pointed to the city's finances. Commissioner Jessica Ring said the $875,000 sale could pay down what she estimated as roughly $900,000 the city owes on the Selva Preserve. She said rejecting the DG Market does not mean a Trader Joe's or Aldi will take its place.

First Coast News reported on Aug. 14 that the Mayport Road area has lost two grocers in the past 15 years.

The commission's first budget hearing is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14. No date has been set for a formal vote on the land sale.