BUCKHANNON – The Rock Cave Family Dollar store is expanding into a combination Family Dollar and Dollar Tree grocery and convenience store location.

The Upshur County Commission on Thursday signed a welcome letter for the expansion of the Rock Cave Family Dollar/Dollar Tree, located at the intersection of Routes 4 and 20 in southern Upshur County.

Charles Wilson with Magnolia Associates, LLC attended the April 15 commission meeting to discuss the combination of the Rock Cave Family Dollar/Dollar Tree. Magnolia Associates owns the Family Dollar building, and leases it to Family Dollar Stores of WV LLC, according to a letter included in the commission packet.

The proposed expansion will encompass approximately 2,000 square feet, and Magnolia Associates asked for a welcome letter from the commission to demonstrate that county officials had no objection to the expansion of the existing store.

Wilson explained the arrangement to the commission.

“Essentially, the welcome letter is the last thing [needed] before we execute a brand-new lease with Family Dollar/Dollar General,” Wilson said. “For those of you that don’t know, Dollar Tree purchased Family Dollar two years ago, and they’re now doing a combination store for every Dollar Tree and that’s what’s going to happen; we’re going to have a store like that in Rock Cave.”

Wilson said the community is looking forward to the new, larger store.

“The folks up around Rock Cave and Banks District are enthusiastic and welcome this store,” Wilson said. “For those of you that don’t know, I’m a Banks District fellow, so I helped get the store built there because my mother asked me to build it, to do something for my hometown, so I agreed to do this at 73 because my mother is looking down and she wants me to do this.”

Commissioner Terry Cutright made the motion to sign the welcome letter, and commissioner Sam Nolte seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

In other Upshur County Commission news, the commission approved a proclamation declaring April 11 through April 17, 2021 National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in the county. The proclamation highlighted the vital role Upshur County’s telecommunicators at the E911 Communication Center play in ensuring an efficient response to a wide range of emergency situations that call for the dispatch of law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel.

The proclamation also acknowledged that the public safety telecommunicators of the Upshur County Emergency 911 Communication Center “have contributed substantially to the apprehension of criminals, suppression of fires, treatment of patients, overall safety of our community” and have played an integral role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic locally.

Prior to adjourning, the commission also:

• Approved correspondence from Kirsten Coit-Fetty and Jennifer K. Bennett, on behalf of the Splashers Buckhannon Swim Club, requesting use of the Upshur County Pool for swim practice and home swim meets during the 2021 pool season.

• Approved correspondence from Craig D. Presar, WVU Extension Agent, requesting use of the large pavilion June 28-30, free of charge. The Upshur County Extension Service plans to host a 4-H Cloverbud Day Camp and anticipates that 25 area youth will be in attendance.

• Approved correspondence from Carol J. Smith, County Clerk, requesting approval to transfer Jenna Marple from her current position as part-time COVID cleaner to a paid part-time intern working in the Payroll and Accounts Payable Department. The change in employment will be effective May 17, 2021.

• Approved Logan Nelson as a volunteer at the Lewis–Upshur Animal Control Facility.