Springfield cracks down on long-standing trash problem with Dollar Tree

SPRINGFIELD — Dollar Tree managers promised to do better after racking up thousands of dollars in fines and years of complaints about their trash-strewn parking lot on Allen Street.

“I’ve been dealing with it since it opened, and it has always been a problem with litter,” said City Councilor Timothy Allen, whose ward includes Allen Street. “There isn’t a day when you go there, and there aren’t at least 150 pieces of litter on the driveway.”

For years, neighbors have complained about the state of the lot, but the problem came to the forefront this summer when the City Council started looking at the city’s $1 million plus in unpaid tickets. By then, Dollar Tree had tallied thousands in fines issued by the police ordinance unit and additional ones from code enforcement and zoning officers, said City Councilor Victor Davila.

Last week, a City Council subcommittee met with corporate managers of the store to see if they could push to get the fines paid and the lot cleaned up regularly. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Sept. 4.

“The Dollar Tree is just a mess. There is no plan in terms of cleanup,” said Keith O’Connor, deputy director of housing code enforcement in the city. “We have talked to the store manager in the past, and we have gotten nowhere.”

Adding to the problem is that there are few trash barrels outside the store. In a recent visit, O’Connor saw one barrel was overflowing.

East Forest Park resident Gerry Martin has frequently complained about the mess at Dollar Tree at City Council meetings. Last week, he said the parking lot was filled with trash, its fence is caving in, pallets are leaning against an outside wall, and debris is piled everywhere.

“We should have a zero tolerance policy,” he said. “For nearly 10 years, it has been an abysmal neighbor with unacceptable behavior.”

Corporate officials who mostly attended the meeting remotely pledged to put a plan in place that would call for cleaning the lot twice daily and regular management walk-throughs.

“I realize these are retail fundamentals, and we are making sure our teams are working to deliver on this and to improve the conditions at the store,” said Jennifer Silberman, chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer.

She also promised to better communicate with the City Council and code enforcement employees.

There was also some discussion about the unpaid fines that had been issued to Dollar Tree over several years. The Police Department alone has written more than $3,000 worth of tickets over the past few years, said Steve Desilets, the building commissioner.

As of early last week, the city’s finance office tallied $1,900 in fines that the company still owed, Davila said.

Silberman said the company owns roughly 9,000 stores and was not sure why the fines have not been paid regularly. Since the company leases the property on Allen Street, she questioned if the bills were sent to the property owner instead.

But Desilets confirmed they were being sent to the corporate offices and not to the store or the property owner.

If the store does not pay the fines, a lien will be placed on the property until the city recoups the money, he said.

“We will go back and work with our team and ensure the fines that are being paid,” Silberman said. She confirmed it is Dollar Tree’s responsibility to maintain the lot under the lease agreement.

Davila said the city wants Dollar Tree to stay, since it creates jobs and pays taxes, but the lack of cleanliness cuts into its business and has made it a “ghetto store.”

“I feel you should pay this, pronto,” he said. “If we have outstanding fines, that is not OK.”

After years of fighting with the company, Davila said he plans to start the process of posting the store’s name, as well as other scofflaws who owe the city money, on the Springfield website and in local newspapers.

“As a consumer, I try to avoid that store like the plague, and I only live seven minutes away,” he said. “The cleanliness is pathetic inside, as well. … The floor is dirty. It is disorganized. Why are we getting worse quality than other places?”