City of Clermont orders plaza owner to fix sidewalks, remove prohibited signage after contested survey dispute

The City of Clermont Code Enforcement Board on May 18 ordered R and M Retail LP (two parcels at State Road 50) to correct sidewalk defects and remove prohibited signage by June 17, 2026, following a contested hearing in which the property’s manager disputed the city’s mapping of parcel lines.

City staff presented maps and a survey from the city’s files, described vegetation overgrowth, broken panels and prohibited tenant signage, and recommended two separate orders (one per parcel) requiring correction and warning of $250 per day fines after June 17 if noncompliant. Assistant code enforcement staff cited both the City’s legal description and Lake County confirmation that the sidewalk sits inside the private parcels.

The property manager and on‑site representative, Shawna Martinez, told the board she had crews clear vegetation and had replaced a section of the sidewalk "out of good faith," and submitted development surveys she said supported her position. "We cleared everything out...we actually replaced the whole section of the sidewalk that he requested," Martinez said. She pressed for definitive, stamped survey evidence from the city so her team could know which panels to repair.

The board printed and compared the city’s survey during the hearing and asked Lake County and public‑works staff about right‑of‑way maintenance. After reviewing the evidence the board voted to find the respondent in violation of the cited code sections (with the exception of subsection 15 that addresses off‑site signage on utility poles) and ordered the corrective work done by June 17, 2026, with inspection to follow. The order requires the respondent to contact the Code Enforcement office to arrange verification; failure to meet the deadline will trigger $250/day fines for each case.

Why the dispute was significant

The exchange highlighted how differing survey documents and incomplete on‑file records can delay compliance and complicate enforcement. The respondent argued efforts and outlays to repair portions of the sidewalk showed good faith and sought time to reconcile survey discrepancies; city staff relied on the municipal legal description to support enforcement.

What happens next

Respondent is to obtain or accept the city's instructions on the precise repair locations, complete remediation by 06/17/2026 and contact code enforcement for inspection. Should the matter remain unresolved at that date, the board’s order authorizes daily fines until compliance is verified.

(Reporting based on the City of Clermont Code Enforcement Board hearing transcript of May 18, 2026.)