As London continues to grow, a proposed Dollar General near London Village is raising questions about where new commercial development belongs.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The rapidly growing London area is attracting the attention of major national brands, but one proposed development is already raising concerns among nearby residents.

Dollar General owns a parcel of land along Weber Road near the London Village subdivision and down the road from London ISD.

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City records show the approximately 1.3-acre property is at the center of an annexation and rezoning process connected to plans for a Dollar General. The tract is being considered for Neighborhood Commercial use.

For some residents, the concern is not necessarily about Dollar General itself, but what additional commercial development could mean for the neighborhood as London continues to grow.

Corpus Christi City Councilman Eric Cantu said he conducted an informal poll on Facebook after hearing concerns from residents. He said roughly 75% of respondents opposed the potential development, while about 20% to 25% supported it.

London resident Joey Baldwin said residents are concerned about what could happen if commercial development begins moving closer to homes.

“It’s not necessarily just the Dollar General by itself. It’s what happens after the Dollar General gets there, right?” Baldwin said. “So that Dollar General that’s proposed is going to be backing up to somebody’s home. So once we start that chain of events, then we have a whole chain of retail outlets that are backing up to those homes.”

Baldwin said residents also have concerns about traffic in the area, particularly with London ISD nearby.

“London really does want more infrastructure and more retail outlets out here,” Baldwin said. “I think we just want to be very careful on where those shops end up being.”

The proposed development is also being closely watched by A&J Convenience Store, a local small business down the road from the property.

Employee and London resident Alyssa Benavidez said she believes the store’s relationship with the community will help it continue to compete with a major national chain.

“We’re not just convenient, we’re family,” Benavidez said. “We like to be integrated with our regulars. Everybody knows your name.”