A Belk company official has responded---but not positively--to a petition signed by more than 400 residents of Fuquay-Varina and vicinity asking that the Belk store in Fuquay-Varina remain open, at least until the company could conduct a study to determine the cost of renovation or a new store in the area.

The local store, a mainstay for Fuquay-Varina shoppers for more than 50 years, is set to close by the end of this month.

Becky Medlin, who headed up the drive to get a petition signed opposing the store-closing, said last week she received a phone call from Ralph Pitts of the Belk Company’s home office in Charlotte, thanking her for the petition indicating local shoppers’ support for the Belk store.

She said Pitts told her, however, the building in which the present Fuquay-Varina Belk store is located is much too small and has been for years. He also said the company needs to concentrate on its larger stores to maintain a certain image.

Ms. Medlin said Pitts also told her other Belk stores in the area are too close to Fuquay-Varina for the company to justify building a new, larger store in the southern Wake town.

She said he told her he appreciated everyone who had signed the petition and he hoped the signers will shop at other Belk stores in the area.

Ms. Medlin said area residents approached by her and others circulating the petitions seemed eager to sign, urging Belk to maintain a presence in town. She said it would have been easy to get many more signatures, but she was eager to get the message to the Belk company before the closing of the local store.