When Erica Laufer enters Sterling from Route 7 west, on Harry Byrd Highway, she is appalled by the yellow building that stands between Saturn of Sterling and Mattress Discounters.
She has been so taken aback by the torn siding, gaping wholes and trash pit located on the side of the former gas station, she has even stopped alongside the highway to take a closer look for herself.
"This is the fist thing people see when they enter Sterling. It looks as if we are living in the slums," she said. "This is a disgrace. We deserve better here in Sterling."
The former gas station, which has been abandoned for approximately five years, has been boarded up, but over the years, the thin panels have fallen down to expose the empty interior filled with trash and even a wheel chair. The cracks in the cement of the parking lot are filled with grass.
"How you can have anything looking like that, I don’t know," she said. "It’s a dump yard."
Last week, Laufer decided to take matters into her own hands. The professional photographer sent a postcard to the Board of Supervisors and media outlets with a photograph she took of the building on the front and the message: "How many more years must we see this eyesore shell building when entering LoCo from Route 7?" on the back.
SUPERVISOR MICK STATON (Sugarland Run) said the postcard was the first and only complaint he has received from his constituents about the building.
"Obviously, we would like to see that building replaced," he said, "but we can’t do anything about it as long as the owner keeps it boarded up and it doesn’t present a health hazard.
There is a Long and Foster "For Lease" sign at the front of the property, however, the Realtor, Sala Batman, did not return phone calls as of press time.
Staton said he requested staff from the Health Department and Department of Planning inspect the site.
If the building violates any health or zoning codes, the owners will be forced into compliance, Staton said. If not, there is nothing the county can do.
"You can’t force somebody to do something," he said.
LAUFER SAID she has not received any feedback from Staton’s office as of Monday, July 16.
Laufer said she is also concerned about her safety. When she stopped to take a photograph of the building from across the street, she saw four or five men running into the building.
Kraig Troxell, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, said deputies have not been called to the old gas station in recent years for any illegal activity.
"The only reports we had where when the gas station was open," he said. "In recent years, there has been no activity that has been reported."