The corner of Hwy 88 and Ridge Rd. has long been a question mark. Del Rapini Construction once had a sign there advertising a planned shopping center. It was an ambitious plan, featuring a three-story motel with 75 rooms. A fast-food establishment in the center area, with another restaurant further to the rear. A mini-mart with gas station situated in the corner next to Hwy 88. There was more room for R&D firms at the back part of the site.
For many years the site was undeveloped. It had been re-zoned commercial back in 1984 with an administrative permit, meaning that public hearings would not have to be part of the early process of any development. Only approved building permits would be required.
As memory serves, grading work on the site was started around 2010. It looked like the shopping center was soon to be built, but after some work was done it came to a halt. False alarm.
Then in 2014 the news surfaced that a Dollar General would be built, in the center area where the fast food establishment had been planned under the original Rapini concept. As I wrote in July of last year, after much controversy and attempts to prevent construction, the store is a reality.
Now that the Dollar General is built, would other businesses be attracted to the site? I checked in with Del Rapini by phone on Friday, 2/5, to get an update. He explained that he has been trying hard for a long time to get businesses to locate there. There have been a number of enquiries, and he is presently in preliminary talks with an interested party to build a convenience store and possibly a gas station.
He stressed that the main gating factors to moving forward with the shopping center are sewer hookups and traffic limitations. As the developer, he has needed to deal with the Amador Water Agency and CalTrans over these issues, necessitating a substantial dollar investment so far.
He went on to say that a motel had shown some interest, but due to the limited sewer system capacity it wasn’t possible to move forward. As for traffic impact, the site is approved for 1,550 daily “trips”. The Dollar General store accounts for around 400, so there are only enough left for possibly two more users. Should a prospective business require more, fees would be involved.
In summary, the Pine Grove Shopping Center could have another tenant in its future. Filling out the complete site appears to be a slim prospect as it stands now. But any addition would be welcome. In my view, the plain-looking Dollar General would benefit from some surrounding buildings and landscaping.
D. Norman
