# Polka Dot house?  Really?



## Doorman (May 2, 2012)

Now here is something you don't see every day...

From the Fargo (ND) Forum: Official: Polka dots painted on Grand Forks home an eyesore.

This fellow decides to add some cheer to the neighborhood, so colored polka dots have become part of the building paint scheme... really?  In the article, it appears there may be ulterior motives at play.

The subject city has no regulation regarding paint schemes, so all that can be done by the city fathers is whine and complain about it.  What about your jurisdiction?  Is this that big of a deal?


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## GBrackins (May 2, 2012)

I love it! nothing in our local zoning by-laws (zoning regulations) to prevent such.


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## cda (May 2, 2012)

from around texas area::

http://www.kcbd.com/story/2808414/purple-house-protest-pops-up-in-north-texas


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## Mule (May 2, 2012)

I don't have a picture but in a gated community one neighbor was complaining about the other neighbor across the street always working on his cars. The ordinance specified if the violation could be seen from a public street then it was a violation .... He built a eight foot tall fence across the front of the house...totally in compliance with the regs.... He painted it the ugliest fluorecent colors you could imagine..... neighbor complained...... sorry... can't do anything!!!~


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## Mac (May 2, 2012)

Can't legislate good taste!


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## Doorman (May 2, 2012)

Ya know, I think this is one of those things that, in a few weeks will simply die away.  Today the city elders are wringing their hands, getting in a big sweat because they can't *make* this guy do anything about the paint job.  So what?  Leave him alone, he will probably get sick of it himself in 6 months or so and paint over.  There, all better, and no sweeping legislative action is needed.

But the way things work, there will probably soon be a statewide mandate regarding house paint colors.  Sheesh!


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## Alias (May 2, 2012)

cda said:
			
		

> from around texas area::http://www.kcbd.com/story/2808414/purple-house-protest-pops-up-in-north-texas


My house is purple with white trim.  Same colors as the local HS sports teams.  Go Braves!

In all actuality, I painted it purple to annoy the neighbors directly across the road from me.  :devil


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## Big Mac (May 2, 2012)

Alias / why not purple and gold?


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## mtlogcabin (May 2, 2012)

I think it would make a great Ronald McDonald house

As far as the planner thinking it is an eye sore well it didn't hurt my eyes looking at the picture


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## righter101 (May 2, 2012)

I am going to school at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks Campus via their online degree program (ABET accredited Engineering program) and I have to go back for 2 weeks in June for Lab.  ( was there last year).

I will definately check this out..  I love it.


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## BSSTG (May 2, 2012)

Greetings all,

I love it! I think it's a freedom of speech issue. I might add that being told what color I could paint my house was a major contributing factor in the decision to move out of Houston dealing with deed restrictions. I used to work in a zoned city that made all business owners paint their building to meet their preferred colors. that's nuts.

BS


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## Papio Bldg Dept (May 2, 2012)

all for it....nothing in our zoning regs to prevent it.  Covenants are a different matter, but the way most are enforced, I am sure there is some legal wiggle room there as well.


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## Architect1281 (May 2, 2012)

Grandma lived in they city that cited her ome for maint min housing violation for exterior paint and miraculously a later to be convicted of price fixing painter showed up with an exhorbinant offer saying the city sent them, I sought a time extension to allow the family to gather and paint slowly the same color when denied I suggested it would be red white and blue and the press would be called, got the extension.... still notified the press and investigation led to action. Grandma was not the only one and contractors were rigging bids


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## conarb (May 2, 2012)

People have different reactions to this house, it's in Oakland on the corner of a well traveled street, while it's gaudy the colors are beautifully color-coordinated with the landscaping.  I sure wouldn't want to live next door, of course with Oakland's problems I guess they don't care about paint colors.  On the other side of the coin, here in Pleasanton the design Review Commission approved a new million dollar plus home with a certain shade of beige La Habra color in the stucco, in the end the owners decided to vary the shade of beige by one shade, the difference was imperceptible, nobody complained, but the building inspector refused to final the house because it didn't have the color approved, the people had money so they put the correct color over the color coat and then filed suit against the city, since these things take years in the courts I never heard how it came out.

I served on a Design Review Commission for one year in the 80s at the request of the building inspector, he wanted builders, architects, and engineers on the commission instead of "Housewives telling people what color to paint their houses" in his words, I hated it and resigned, I couldn't bear telling people what to do with their own properties.


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## fireguy (May 2, 2012)

my preference would be sprinkler heads, w/glass bulbs.  Red, blue, purple bulbs and brass heads.  Pendant, uprights, sidewall, vertical sidewall.  A few red fire extinguishers.  Maybe some smokes, audio visuals, pull stations.  None of those boring circles for me!


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## Doorman (May 3, 2012)

Hello Architect 1281.  You said "_Grandma was not the only one and contractors were rigging bids_"

Collusion:  "_An agreement between two or more persons, sometimes __*illegal*__ and therefore secretive, to limit open competition by deceiving, misleading, or defrauding others of their legal rights, or to obtain an objective forbidden by law typically by __*defrauding*__ or gaining an unfair advantage_"  This is compliments of Wikipedia.


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## Alias (May 3, 2012)

Big Mac said:
			
		

> Alias / why not purple and gold?


Big Mac -

If you had seen the purple with orange trim house in Montgomery Creek, you would understand.  I do have my limits.......:mrgreen:

Sue


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## Alias (May 3, 2012)

conarb said:
			
		

> I served on a Design Review Commission for one year in the 80s at the request of the building inspector, he wanted builders, architects, and engineers on the commission instead of "Housewives telling people what color to paint their houses" in his words, I hated it and resigned, I couldn't bear telling people what to do with their own properties.


CA -

Like the colors on the house in Oakland.

Design Review & CC&Rs are interesting.  There is a local rural subdivision that went after a few homeowners a couple years ago for the color they painted their homes.  Meanwhile, the neighbor has 25 junk vehicles, an illegally inhabited motor home, piles of trash, and a couple horses/cows/sheep/chickens thrown in to the mix and he is ignored.  Makes perfect sense to me.  :mrgreen:


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## conarb (May 3, 2012)

Sue said:
			
		

> CA -Like the colors on the house in Oakland.


Who do you think you are, Kim Novak?  They say she sleeps in purple sheets, but I can't attest to that personally, darn it.


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## peach (May 6, 2012)

well, it's pretty hideous.  It's hard to write new legislation to prohibit it; unless it's long standing "pretty policy" legislation (like the City of Coral Gables), it won't pass a first amendment challenge.


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## ICE (May 6, 2012)

conarb said:
			
		

> Who do you think you are, Kim Novak?  They say she sleeps in purple sheets, but I can't attest to that personally, darn it.


I bet JFK knew the answer.


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## Architect1281 (May 6, 2012)

Doorman notice the "later to be convicted" line what they were doing was all bids were high and well above project worth, what they did was decide who would be the lowest of the high bids and spread the work around. hence the convictions


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