EAST BERNE — The Berne planning board has approved a subdivision and site-plan for a Dollar General retail store off of Helderberg Trail in East Berne, said Mike Vincent, the acting chairman of the planning board, at a town board meeting in Knox.

The Berne Planning Board approved the measure at its regular meeting last Thursday, he said, after discussing the proposed store for seven months.

“We came to a good agreement,” he said.

The planning board and the engineer representing the retail chain have compromised and formulated a store design that fits with the town of Berne, said Vincent. Gooseneck lights were agreed upon to cut down on light pollution to maintain the town’s dark skies, for example.

At a September meeting, planning board members also addressed landscaping on the property, disposal of cardboard, and what would occur during a power outage.

Vincent said he was glad his board came to an agreement, saying that the proximity of the store to the Mobil gas station across the street would offer competitive pricing and a wider variety of items that residents could buy.

A spokeswoman from Dollar General told The Enterprise this summer that six to 10 people would be employed at a Berne location.

Vincent also noted that the retail chain generally locates in small to medium-sized communities. Debra Bajouwa, who had served as planning board chairwoman before resigning two months ago, noted this summer that the store targets areas like Berne with populations of 2,000 to 3,000 people — Berne has 2,794.

Last year, Dollar General made headlines with its plans to expand to rural, low-income areas with few stores nearby. Berne has a slightly higher per-capita income than the average for Albany County or for New York State, but there have long been concerns about a lack of businesses in the area.