The Dollar General slated for Eldred Township continues to be in a holding pattern.

Through an online meeting, Kirk Farrelly, with Capital Growth Buchalter in Birmingham, Alabama, updated the Eldred Township supervisors this month as to why the construction project is delayed.

Farrelly said his company is still trying to get a permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for a 5-foot runway across the front of the property. Everything else has been approved by PennDOT.

“It’s a very cumbersome process,” he said.

The project has been in the works since early 2020, Farrelly said. COVID-19 delayed the progress, but they were back seeking a permit in January of 2021.

In March 2022, the company closed on the purchase of the land on County View Road for the store. Farrelly is hoping that they will have an approval letter from PennDOT within a month or two. If that happens, then they will begin construction in the spring of 2024.

“We’re pretty upside down on the construction costs,” he said, due to the delays and the increase in construction costs. “We’re still committed to the location, since we have the land. That’s what we’re here to do.”

Overall the project is held up twofold: PennDOT approval and construction costs.

The supervisors also heard about another construction project. This one is for Casella Waste System LLC.

Casella wants to replace a single modular office unit with a double modular unit on its site in Kunkletown. The site had been GFL Stroudsburg Hauling, which had been County Waste but was purchased by GFL. Casella bought GFL.

The current office building is about 780 square feet and the double would increase the office space to about 1,680 square feet.

Michael Gaul, the solicitor for the township, said the company originally wanted to do some site improvements, but with the demolition of one building and the addition of another, it would put the cost up around $60,000.

Gaul proposed approving a resolution for a conditional land development plan. This way, they can get started and continue raising the money for the entire cost of the project. Then when they have the money, they can get a building permit and replace the building.

“They want to replace that modular with another modular. It’s still going to be used for offices. There’s no zoning issues. There’s no septic issues,” Gaul said.

The planning commission recommended conditional approval of the plan with several conditions, one of them is compliance with the township engineer’s letter, Gaul said. Some of the conditions have already been met.

The supervisors approved a resolution granting conditional land development.