Bright Colors Along Central Avenue
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown Community
Forum Name: Middletown News, Info and Happenings
Forum Description: Discuss any Middletown Ohio area news story.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1347
Printed Date: Oct 31 2024 at 10:29pm
Topic: Bright Colors Along Central Avenue
Posted By: VietVet
Subject: Bright Colors Along Central Avenue
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 6:56am
The Journal had a Soundoff about the bright yellows, greens, pinks, oranges etc. along Central Avenue. The caller apparently wanted to know what that was all about. I took a guess in my response by suggesting that it might be the new "Southwest/ Mexican/Fiesta/ hey let's party look that, when coupled with the Pride groups paintin' and cleanin' theme and the city's gutter de-rusting/ no parkin' on the lawn approach, would go a long way to proving to Forbes that we are indeed, not a dying city after all but are merely "re-inventing" ourselves like Ms. Mort said we were.(and if Ms. Mort says it- by gosh- that's a fact Jack!!!)     
|
Replies:
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 7:07am
|
Whatever it is, it looks hideous when you are driving on Central. They bitch about flower pots and rusted gutters. These buildings show up when you look out of the window of the Space Shuttle as it is orbiting the earth for pete sake. ------------- When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 7:54am
|
Gentlemen, As for my personal opinion, I may agree with you. But it is not my personal opinion that matters in a case like this, nor is it yours. It has been said that “There is no accounting for taste!” I know that my taste in decorating leaves much to be desired. Just ask my wife or my daughters! But the “Sound Off” caller suggests that permissible colors be legislated! So, to whose taste are we to leave the choice of allowable colors in our fair city? Please recall that to the detriment of existing and potential business, individuals at City Hall have already outlawed perfectly acceptable (to most reasonable people) methods of advertising. They have also outlawed architecture that would deny a place in Middletown to existing works considered masterpieces by such geniuses as Franklin L. Wright, I. M Pei, Buckminster Fuller, Christopher Wren, and the ancient Egyptian designers of the pyramids! Mr. Kohler and his minions have outlawed aluminum siding, vinyl siding, lawn ornaments, plain grass front lawns, picket fences, porch swings, and virtually everything else that would enable anyone to “sit on the front porch and interact with their neighbors”, as well as concrete and asphalt driveways and other common architectural features too numerous to mention. I am sorry, but regardless of how hideous I may find my fellow property owners’ choice of colors, I must defend their right to choose that color, lest our tyrannical city hall try to dictate the motif of my home to my wife!! And THAT, my fellow Middletonians, WOULD be unbearable!! (Even if it IS okay with the Commission on Historical Districts and Landmarks!) ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 8:08am
|
I might add to the above the follollowing:
It is perfectly acceptable for a developer, when developing that DEVELOPER'S OWN tract of land, to include covenants
However, to try to legislate such requirements AFTER the fact upon the property holders is unconstitutional, unconscionable, and justification for resistance by all means available to men of good character. ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: General Patton
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 8:45am
| Is it true that the Kommandant of Middletown gave the new owners of the Castell Building a HUD loan or grant to replace the windows? I have heard this comment from several sources now. |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 9:02am
|
Sorry Mike but have to disagree with you here. If you want to attract the new generation of Homeowner, with a good job and family then you are going to have to conform somewhat to what people are looking for today in a place to live. That may mean:
1) No cars in the front yards for extended periods of time.
2) No wild ass color schemes downtown.
3) Not allowing our shopping centers to become used car lots and truck stops some of them look bad enough as it is now.
4) Middletown needs to look toward other successful communities as to what is working there and stop this we can do whatever the hell we want, when we want. It doesn't work in this day an age if you are trying to attract new residents.
------------- When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson |
Posted By: General Patton
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 9:14am
| It wouldn't hurt if the head honchos at City Hall supported expanded home ownership opportunities for responsible, working families instead of the wrecking ball and heavy-handed housing code tactics. Some good old financial belt tightening is in order too! |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 9:20am
|
dunno general P. those windows went in very quickly and look very good. And that was a LOT of windows. Wonder about the condition inside though. I assume Mr.Kohler needed that cosmetic situation to be addressed b4 he starts handing out business citations along Central, as warned/promised. So--anyone with issues can get a HUD loan under the same terms? Or an emergency variance, like granted to the Atrium when they built a new facility without permits or using the required materials or conforming to the long-known conditions? Would be nice to know the size and terms of the possible grant, and to whom exactly the grant was given(and who owns the property). I also heard that the same group purchased the old City Hotel building across the street.
Also would be very interesting to view the HUD/CDBG $$ usedin the last 10-15 years for downtown businesses and S.Main St.residences, and to whom the $$ went and the terms of the funding. Anyone in default?
|
Posted By: General Patton
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 11:30am
| Rumor has it that the owner(s) of the Manchester Inn are significantly in default on a low-interest HUD loan. Rumor also has it that the Kommandant gave Beau-Verre a large non-repayable HUD grant. The latter statement is based on second-hand information and cannot be substantiated one way or another. |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 7:41pm
Pacman: I am not so sure that we disagree. The problem I have is: On exactly whose opinion of what is “tasteful” do we rely? What if it is decided that your house would look better in pink and orange diagonal stripes, while your neighbor’s would look best in a purple and white checkerboard scheme? I feel certain that some people find “golden arches” gaudy, or even the color scheme red and gold. Does this mean that both McDonalds and Gold Star Chili must be banned from downtown unless they bend their corporate image to Middletown’s “Titan of Taste”? I understand and agree with your concerns but hesitate to resort to allowing the bureaucracy to mandate style. Please consider that the ones writing the rules might have even worse taste than the ones who like the “wild ass colors” and could ban everything EXCEPT those! ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Pacman wrote:Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 9:21pm
|
Mike those colors on Central are not about "Taste" or "Style", they are there for one reason and one reason only, their shock value and $$$$$$$$ and that is it. I doubt anything the City could come up with will be as bad as the current color scheme. The logic of not being allowed to have a banner on your business yet the city will allow this escapes me.
------------- When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: May 26 2009 at 10:10pm
Also, if we fail to begin cleaning house at City Hall this November, what's to stop this corrupt group from mandating a change of colors every year for their enemiesm while finding loophoples for their fiends in competing businesses?
MORE government intrusion is NOT the answer, it is the problem!
Since you are a small business man, it stuns me that you are in favor of MORE government regulation of your business and your home, even to the area of decor!! ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: May 27 2009 at 4:34am
|
Mike I am in favor of cleaning up the image of this city and if that means not being able to paint the front of your buiness all the colors of the rainbow I am all for it. I am probably not as surprised by regulations on what you can do with your property, as I have lived in PUD's, had businesses in cities where there are far more restrictions on what you can do as far as advertising.
You have to draw the line somewhere. ------------- When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: May 27 2009 at 7:00am
| Drive over by Rosa Parks Elementary, (McKinley to us), along Verity Parkway and check out the purple house on the corner. Can't miss it as it sticks out like a sore thumb. I would define "being appropriate" as this scenario. You have a neighborhood of white, tan, beige, light gray,and other " softer- more neutral" color tones. Then, a house catches your attention- it's the purple one on the corner. That's the same situation we have downtown with these gaudy colored, flea market, attention-getting colors that could only be found along the Arizona border in Nogales Mexico. The color scheme may be acceptable in that part of the country but it ain't acceptable here. Two different worlds. These bright gaudy flea market color schemes just contribute to the "junking up" of this town. These areas look like they belong in a cheap run down border town somewhere along the Rio Grande. Compliance with the norm of the surroundings and having some class would be more appropriate. JMO |