Residents are speaking out in opposition of a planned Dollar General in Penn Forest Township.

A petition to “Save Jonas Mountain” currently has more than 270 signatures.

The signers say that the proposed store at Route 534 and Old Stage Road, Dollar General’s third in the township, will impact the natural beauty of the area, and hurt property values for the surrounding communities.

“This area does not need another Dollar General as the location in question is literally surrounded by 10 stores, the closest of which is a mere 3 miles away and in a more appropriate commercial sector,” the petition reads.

The store plan is currently before the Penn Forest Township Planning Commission.

The intersection is in close proximity to thousands of homes in communities like Valley View Estates, Mount Pocahontas and Jonas Mountain Estates.

The proposed location is in a commercial zone of the township, but there are currently no retail businesses in the immediate area.

The petition includes a reference to the township zoning ordinance, which requires developments to preserve natural features such as woodland areas, large trees and scenic views, whenever possible.

Dozens of signers wrote that there is no need for a new Dollar General store in the area. They say that a retail commercial store is not suited for retail stores.

Two residents opposed to the project addressed the Penn Forest Township supervisors earlier this month. Joseph Tompkins said the project would forever change an area which is currently devoid of retail development.

“If this is developed, it will change the area as a whole, and it needs to be developed harmoniously with the surrounding residential area,” he said.

Kelly Hall-Tompkins pointed out that there are a large number of Dollar General stores in the surrounding area, while echoing that the proposed site is wrong for a commercial development.

“I believe adding a store in that location would destroy the natural beauty of Jonas Mountain,” she said.

They urged the supervisors not to vote to approve the project against opposition from residents.

The supervisors said that they won’t vote on the project until they receive a recommendation from the township planning commission, which is currently reviewing the plan.

But Supervisor Christian Bartulovich said that if a development plan meets all township ordinances, they have no choice but to approve the project.

“We don’t have a lot of wiggle room at that point,” Bartulovich said.

In December, the supervisors voted to allow Dollar General to submit its preliminary and final plans at the same time, if they meet all of the township’s other requirements. The township engineer said it’s not an uncommon request.

But they said it is unlikely that the planning commission will complete their review of the plan this month. There are several outstanding requirements. Any commercial development in the township requires a traffic study to explore possible traffic issues and recommend road improvements.

The next planning commission meeting will take place online at 6 p.m. Jan. 25. Details are available at pennforesttownship.org.

The petition is available at https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-jonas-mountain.