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SC City Looks to Regulate Paint Colors

Friday, September 14, 2012

More items for Color + Design

Should garishness be regulated? City and county officials in South Carolina are considering regulations that will dictate what colors commercial business can be painted.

Why? Many residents in York and Lake Wylie, S.C., started seeing red back in August when Auto Money Title Loans opened two new locations, complete with bright yellow and green painted roofs.

The neon hues match the company’s logo.

Temporary Ban Imposed

The exterior paint and the onslaught of complaints sparked the York City Council to initially approve a 90-day temporary ban on painting masonry, stucco siding and roof surfaces throughout the city, according to local news reports.

Auto Money Title Loans

Bright yellow and green exteriors are causing some residents in York, SC, to see red, prompting city planners to study the issue of color in building codes.

The ban would allow officials take a closer look at a possible regulation on paint colors.

Moreover, the York County Council also initially approved an ordinance to set up color and design standards for commercial properties along a highway in the area, reports say.

Officials did not respond to a request for more information; however, they do seem set on promoting the use of more neutral hues when it comes to paint.

A ‘Presentable’ Town

“I want our gateway corridors to look good coming into town,” York City Manager Charles Helms told the Lake Wylie Pilot. “That was my concern. I just want the town to be very presentable.”

York has more specific regulations regarding painting buildings and homes in its historic downtown area, but Auto Money Title Loans’ York location is some distance away from that area of the city.

“You could paint a building purple,” Helms told the news outlet. “Right now, it could be painted any color. I just thought that taste is not what York wants to see.”

York enjoys an “intimate character of a small friendly community with a strong historic core and traditional lifestyle,” according to the city’s website.

Good for Business?

The company’s manager Matt Steenson says that despite some bad buzz, the company’s painting scheme has got people in the doors.

“It obviously got your attention to get you to come in here to talk about it,” Steenson told The Pilot. “For somebody that’s looking for a loan, it’ll get their attention, too.”

Steenson said the company’s other 40 locations in the state were painted with similar colors and operated without issue.

Comment from Barry Lamm, (9/17/2012, 9:36 AM)

Local governments have a responsiblity to regulate health and safety issues with architecture, however, they don't have the knowlege or training in their planning departments to regulate design, which includes color. Historic districts should have some color rules on existing historic buildings but not on new ones. This type of regulation is like telling the local art museum it can't show any paintingss by the Impressionists.

Comment from M. Halliwell, (9/18/2012, 10:57 AM)

Not that I disagree with your points, Barry...but I'm going to play Devil's advocate for a moment. ;) Although municipal governments don't have the design training, neither do condo boards, yet condo boards regularly regulate the external aesthetics of their resident's homes. One could say that local municipalities have the same right/obligation to regulate the aesthetics of their communities to be able to market their certain image to visitors and potential private and corporate residents. Personally, I think there needs to be a significant public outcry before interference is contemplated...and at that, the municipality needs to move cautiously as public impact from a garish paint job is a lot harder to quantify than impacts from noise, noxious weeds or any other typically bylaw regulated occurrence.