The Dollar General Store in Lady Lake is in trouble with the town again over code violations.
The store, located at 312 U.S. Hwy. 27/441, was a topic at a public hearing Tuesday morning in front of a special magistrate at Lady Lake Town Hall.
The town’s code enforcement officer, Lori Crain, told magistrate Joshua Bills she received a complaint from the property manager of the nearby Carmendy Square apartments in May about trash blowing from the store’s dumpster area onto the apartment complex’s property. In her ensuing investigation, she documented multiple examples of trash strewn being across the ground, broken-down boxes not being stored securely, and the dumpster being left open, allowing loose trash items to escape and unleashing a foul odor into the area.
Crain provided photos, including a recent one of a white liquid oozing from a hole at the bottom of the dumpster. She said she’s been in contact with both local and corporate management and there have been a few efforts to clean up the area, but the problem remains. Crain said the store is in violation of the town’s Code of Ordinances Section 20-51(b) Maintenance of Exterior and Interior of Premises (Commercial Property Maintenance).
The store has been cited for code violations multiple times over the last seven years, including January of this year when boxes and fans were photographed blocking an emergency exit, creating a fire hazard. Representatives from the store’s parent company – Lady Lake Dollar, LLC – did not attend the meeting.
The business has been labeled a repeat offender and faces serious fines if the store is not brought into compliance.
