An Ace Hardware location and a new commercial subdivision could be coming to Tramway, according to an agenda for an upcoming meeting of the Sanford-Lee County Planning Department’s Technical Review Committee.
The proposed location for the 20,000 square foot store is behind the CVS pharmacy and Bojangles restaurant at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Tramway Road. Most of the site is within the Sanford city limits, although the agenda notes a small portion of it would need to be annexed and rezoned in order to be developed.
The committee will also review a proposal directly across Tramway Road for a “Tramway North” commercial subdivision. Plans show office space, an auto service location, and a fast food restaurant that would be located next to the Waffle House that’s already been proposed in the area.
Other items on the agenda include:
- A new Dollar Tree on North Main Street in Broadway
- Expansion and remodeling of the Circle K at Tramway Road and Courtland Drive
- A 2,000 square foot expansion of Davison’s Steaks at 1724 Westover Drive
- A 29-lot townhome development at the intersection of Bragg and Cooper streets.
The meeting is set for January 4. The Technical Review Committee is comprised of local officials from various city and county government entities representing Sanford, Lee County and Broadway. The committee meets monthly to review commercial projects and major subdivisions for compliance with the codes and policies of various local departments. Committee members make no guarantee that the projects submitted for review will be developed — only that they fall under compliance.
Interesting !
There needs to be a grocery store in the area besides food lion
The population is not there yet. When a Harris Teeter, Lowes, or Fresh Market locate, they come after the population necessary to support them. Sanford has a particular geography problem in that Southern Pines/Pinehurst and Apex are located to the north and south of the Sanford population center and while they are not close enough for every day shopping they are plenty close enough for once or twice a week patronage.
Think of it like suns with planets. The suns have gravity and the planets orbit. Give it 10-12 years. Food Lion occupies the lowest economic space in the market and caters to average and below average folks. That’s why there is a Food Lion everywhere.
The real reason why there are five Food Lions in town is because they have one of the best business models in the grocery industry. They are able to operate their stores at a lower cost per square foot than other grocers.
I personally knew the old stalwarts, Ralph Ketner, his brothers and Tom Smith. I also knew the Delhaize organization. This group of people recognized that food prices were too high and designed their stores to run efficiently. They sized their stores for the area they were serving. This gives them an advantage of entering a developing market in its early stages before their competitors, that in turn keeps the competitor out because the market cannot support everyone.
Lowes, Harris Teeter and Publix due cater to a different demographic. Their stores are larger, have specialized segments that contributes to higher operating costs. I have found Lowes Foods to be 10-20% costlier but I will shop there because they have something I want that the other chains do not have.
Harris-Teeter did consider placing a store near Carolina Trace because there was a higher concentration of income there. We may get one here soon because their trucks come through Sanford anyhow going from Carthage, Southern Pines then up to Cary, Pittsboro and Durham.