What would your jurisdiction do?

[SlaveToTheGrind]

Apparently, members of a neighborhood in Omaha are upset at the lavendar color some owners chose to paint their house. What would your jurisdiction do? Do you have any ordinance prohibiting this color choice? A neighborhood that I used to live nearby was heavily hispanic. This color would not draw any attenion there, although it would be more purple than lavendar. But where I live now, the CCR's would not permit this color scheme.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/031015/480/ah10110151310&e=5&ncid=1756

 

[Seabishop]

Too bad if the neighbors don't like it - the owner does. My neighbors might think my white house is too boring. Its not a historic district, its not restricted under covenants, its not even commercial. I shouldn't have to take my swatch of paint for my neighbor's approval, or to city hall for approval. Can the neighbor's really claim that the color is a "nuissance" and is causing harm? They can cry property values all they want but there are no laws to protect you from color-induced depreciation. And there is still a small percentage of the market who prefers bright houses.

As for my town, we don't regulate the aestethics of homes at all.

 

[donk]

We'd do nothing. We have a hideous yellow stucco house in town as well as numerous tyvek shacks and we don't do a thing about it.

For a few of the neighbouring communities, that colour choice would be considered subdued.

 

[Repo Man]

We wouldn't do anything. We have an Architectural Review Board, but we never send paint color changes there. Although if this appeared, I am sure that residents would demand that we start.

 

[SGB]

None of the 30 municipalities in my county regulate residential property aesthetics.

 

[tsc]

Some of our towns regulate design.. and some homeowners association regulate paint colors.

unless there is a home owners association... or historic district.. there is probably nothing you can do (and it really isn't something government would really want to get involved with)

Personally... the color of the house isn't the problem.. it is the friggin ugly design... which is probably common in their neighborhood...... also...tell them to lay off the lawn fertilizer.

 

[Suburb Repairman]

God forbid that someone in the neighborhood depart from beige! Our city wouldn't do anything about it. I don't see how the color of the house could be a nuisance. I could see it if the paint was deteriorating, but this house is in good repair. Does the subdivision have any deed restrictions about this? If so, the HOA can deal with it.

 

[Tranplanner]

Pretty sure we don't have any control.

The guy across from me just painted his house bright orange. I don't mind it, but his next door neighbour is pissed 'cause her kitchen (which faces the painted house) now has an orange glow to it...

 

[BKM]

We actually do review color choices (very perfunctory-I can think of only a couple of times color choice became an issue) for initial construction of houses.

Once the house is built, the City doesn't review repainting at all. Some neighborhood associations may make a big deal about it-but most don't.

I frankly LIKE bright colors. Viva la revolucion demographica!

An apartment building owner took a bland, boring 1960s beige box apartment complex and totally transformed it with rich, deep color. Some of the neighborhood complained that the apartment complex was no longer beige.

 

[Gedunker]

The Third Rail

Color controls are the third rail of historic preservation. We regulate aesthetics but not color. Too bad, too, because the guy across the street from me painted his American Foursquare Pepto Bismol Pink, Royal Blue and Purple. The house is horrific now that the paint has begun to fade.

 

[SW MI Planner]

The only ordinance that we have regulating residential structures is that they should be compatible in design and appearance to those in the vicinity. And lucky me gets to make that distinction - anyone can appeal to the ZBA. We have only used it once, and that was when a property owner wanted to place a single story modular sideways on a lot (front door facing side) in the middle of a national historic district with 2 and 3 story homes. There are no other regulations (yet) for these districts until we make them local districts.

I denied it based on the fact that it was 1 story and the way they proposed to situate the house - door to the side, and garage being the only thing to be on street side. They appealed and ZBA upheld it. Doubt we would win in court, but it works for now.

Anyway, I understand not liking certain colors, but really it's none of my business what my neighbors do. I doubt it would really affect property values. And how can you account for taste? Just because a person might not like it doesn't mean no one else would.

 

[mendelman]

My muni. doesn't regulate paint colors.

And I hope we never do while I'm here.

 

[Richmond Jake]

My muni. doesn't regulate paint colors.

And I hope we never do while I'm here.

Ditto. I used to work in coastal California where colors were regulated and it was a nightmare.

 

[Mud Princess]

Personally... the color of the house isn't the problem.. it is the friggin ugly design... which is probably common in their neighborhood...... also...tell them to lay off the lawn fertilizer.

Good answer!

And that dyed-red mulch that you typically find around a shopping mall. Ick.

 

[SkeLeton]

Who do they think they are? Fashion police? It's their house, they pick the color, not you!

It's different if it was a residential building where everybody has to agree on one color, or otherwise it'll look like crap... (it happens a lot here..)

 

[Rumpy Tunanator]

I don't see whats so bad about the colors. At least it doesn't look like the plain old drab colors that are on the house next door (and probally all the other houses). They should be thankfull that there is no pink flamingos in the yard or the half assed ass thats suppose to be a women bent over.

 

[lowlyplanner]

We don't regulate paint colors, even in our pretty restrictive Historic Districts, where we'll get ya' on windows, doors, siding, etc. We do forbid people from painting brick in the Historic Districts, but that's kind of a different matter.

Are ugly colors cheaper? Is there a remainder bin of paint colors that nobody else wanted? For some reason, some of our local slumlords seem to go for the most hideous colors and combinations you ever saw...

 

[Jeff]

I don't see how you could regulate something that is a matter of opinion.

That lavendar scheme is very prevalent in Cape May, NJ on the victorian houses and it is absolutely beautiful, IMO.

To each his own. Regulate this jery.

 

[Dan]

The zoning code I wrote regulates color for non-residential structures, but not for residential buildings. There is a note that exterior painting does not require a building permit or other town review, but that building colors may be restricted by restrictive covenants.

For non-residential buildings, only a small portion of a wall or surface (0.25% - 1/400th), not including signage, can incorporate bright primary colors and colors that are not characteristic of the surface material. Painted brick or CMU isn't allowed anywhere.

 

[Cardinal]

Good answer!

And that dyed-red mulch that you typically find around a shopping mall. Ick.

The parks department announced a couple nights ago that because of the tight budget they will not be buying any of that crap next year. Yay!!!!! God, is it ever ugly.

We have no regulations in place, save for a requirement that the color choices in the historic downtown be approved by staff prior to painting. I have put a requirement for "subdued colors" in covenants for a commercial district. Some HOAs also have them.

 

[Wulf9]

Not my work jurisdiction, but when I lived in Carmel, CA, the Planning Commission denied a color scheme for using the wrong shade of white. This happened to a friend who was building a house.

In defense of Carmel, it is a small and perverse city that gets its identify from ... umm, errrr ... being perverse. It would have a lot less appeal if it had rational planning.

 

[ambmason]

Not being too technical minded I can't figure out how to post a photo here but I did manage to get it posted as a test photo in the gallery. EDIT - Image Attached (Tranplanner)

This makes the lavender house seem muted and quaint. I can assure you I got a lot of calls about this one but we don't review color choices here even though this is in a historic district. Color is just too easily changed and the need to repaint is so frequent here that it would require extra staff and be a never ending battle. Let the neighborhood associations deal with it if they are so inclined.

p.s. This photo was taken before the white picket fence became a many colored picket fence to match the house.

 

[giff57]

This makes the lavender house seem muted and quaint. I can assure you I got a lot of calls about this one but we don't review color choices here even though this is in a historic district.

Some of the Victorian color schemes were not too much different than that.

 

[BWharrie]

Zone Objectives

Clause 16(2)(d) of the Albury Local Environmental Plan 2000 see http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_reg/alep2000299/s16.html

"to provide freedom from intrusive, offensive, hazardous, aesthetically displeasing and environmentally unsatisfactory development,"

I would then rely on the neighbours for some leverage.

 

[Rem]

Re: Zone Objectives

Clause 16(2)(d) of the Albury Local Environmental Plan 2000 .... "to provide freedom from intrusive, offensive, hazardous, aesthetically displeasing and environmentally unsatisfactory development," I would then rely on the neighbours for some leverage.

Ever been tested by an applicant, objector or in the court? Seems pretty subjective.

 

[tsc]

p.s. This photo was taken before the white picket fence became a many colored picket fence to match the house.

I actually like this... but I hope they painted the chimney and foundation too.... We need more houses like this in the world...

Of course.. these people started out with a much better structure to apply their palate of fun colors

 

[TrafficHater]

What would we do?

Probably let our dogs crap on their lawn, park our cars in front of his house, play music loudly as we drive by, let our kids throw eggs at their house on halloween, let our leaves and trash blow on their lawn -- you know, the usual.