Dollar General will be opening later today or tomorrow under a temporary certificate of occupancy. They will not get a final CO until they complete the changes shown in  the attached drawing.

Note that in the drawing, the front wall sign is to be replaced by a flat logo face externally lighted sign much smaller than the original. That action is to be completed by 4 April. Note also that the monument sign by the road, while still the same size,  will be encased in an attractive box that matches the building.

Dollar General has also said they might reduce the wattage of the monument sign as well as make the frame around the lighted portion smaller.

In my opinion, once the attached changes are made,  the building itself will be in compliance with Pine Island Plan "Old Florida" design standards, and Dollar General will have done everything they promised except reduce the size of the monument sign. Dollar General has made a decision that the larger sign is more important to them than a loss of some community good will, and that the lure of bargain priced goods will nonetheless make their store a success. That's a regrettable decision, but the monument sign is in compliance with Lee County Code, and legally there is nothing can be done about it. I have been receiving a dozen or more emails every day from Pine Islanders saying they do not approve Dollar General's actions and many of them said they would boycott the store. I have no doubt many of them will do just that.  Others will shop at the store but continue to complain to management  if appropriate changes to the monument sign are not made.

My opinion is that the building itself will be attractive once the front wall sign is replaced, and that the only remaining problem is the monument sign, which they may or may not soon properly reconfigure or mitigate. Clearly, Dollar General is not very good at public relations, and they have a serious problem making promises they do not keep. Nonetheless, Dollar General and their store is now a part of Pine Island and sooner or later they too will come to adopt our coastal rural semitropical life style. And, sooner or later, that ugly monument sign will be corrected. 

Whether or not to boycott the store is a decision each person must make for themselves, but I'm not recommending it. I think it would be more effective to complain at every opportunity about the monument sign until it is corrected or replaced. Soon or later, as long as we stay on them--it will happen, and despite all the present unnecessary angst and turmoil, Dollar General will eventually be in full compliance with the Pine Island Plan. 

By: Phil Buchanan
email: coolcherokee@comcast.net