Family Dollar drive-through rejected

Despite anything you might have heard, the Sequoyah County Commissioners confirmed on Monday that a drive-through will not be going through the middle of the Family Dollar store in Vian.

At a public hearing during the commissioners’ weekly meeting, District 2 Commissioner Beau Burlison explained the need for a public hearing.

“There’s an easement that goes through the Family Dollar in Vian, and we’re looking to close that. This is just part of the process we need to do to do that. So this is an opportunity for anybody that’s opposed to that to speak up so we can look into that before we do close that,” he said.

“It goes right through the center of their store,” District 3 Commissioner Jim Rogers pointed out.

Both Burlison and Rogers confirmed that, despite any rumors to the contrary, a drive-through utilizing the existing easement is not planned, neither will it be a 65 mph express lane and there will not be flashing caution lights to designate any rumored drive-through.

Rogers noted that the survey showing the easement “is quite old,” having been drawn in 1958.

“It’s not like the easement keeps going,” county clerk Julie Haywood told the commissioners. “It’s only about a 200-foot easement that goes … it’s just across that property.”

Closing of the easement was approved. The commissioners also approved payment to Robinson Construction for Indian Road emergency repair in District 2. Current payment is $104,168.63, which brings the total amount paid to date to $399,764.61.

“It’s coming along pretty good there. They’re up to grade,” Burlison said of Robinson’s efforts.

Robinson is currently working around the clock on a turnpike issue near Claremore, which has interrupted work on Indian Road. Burlison said once work shifts back to Indian Road, “it’s not gonna take them two days to asphalt that, put the guard rails in and our Site D will be open.” The Cherokee Nation is in charge of Sites A and B, Cherokee County is in charge of Site C and Sequoyah County is responsible for Site D.

“They’re wanting to get done as quick as they could, but there’s a turnpike that’s needing to get finished up before they can be here. As soon as they’re done there, they’ll be up on Indian Road helping us get finished,” Burlison said.

“Hopefully we’ll be getting that road open rather soon. I’m sure everybody’s excited about that. They’re opening a new business up there by Fin and Feather, a Mexican restaurant (Cantinflas Mexican Grill-Tenkiller). I think Fin and Feather and all the people in that area would love to see some more traffic coming through there. We’re getting close to seeing that open, and I’m excited about that.”

Rogers added that “they’ve done a really good job.” The commissioners also approved updated disaster recovery plans for county offices during fiscal year 2024 for the sheriff’s office, court clerk’s office and Sequoyah County Emergency Management.

In other business, Jonathan Teague, emergency management deputy director, noted that recent rains alleviated what was shaping up to be a dry July.

“We got a bunch of rain over the weekend. We were starting to look at some burn ban stuff — it was pretty dry. We’ve had three or four inches of rain so far this July, which is crazy for the month,” Teague told the commissioners.

“As far as for hay and things like that go, everybody was getting kinda nervous about that, too,” Burlison said. “But it looks like we’re going to get another cut of hay, and that’ll be good for everybody.”