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Florissant May Crack Down on Painted Brick, Junk Items on Carports
By Carol Arnett
The Florissant City Council wants to get the word out to businesses that painting brick is not allowed in the city. City law requires unpainted masonry construction on new buildings, and only previously painted brick buildings can be repainted.
“We’ve come to a point where we as a council are going to have to step in,” Said Councilman Tim Lee. He said that there were some properties that were painted before the law took effect. These properties need to be maintained.
Lee said he would like to propose an ordinance that would stipulate that if these buildings needed to be repainted, the owner could go through the city’s Department of Public Works to gain approval for the same paint color. If the owner would like to change the paint color, they would have to go through the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P and Z).
“I agree with Mr. Lee that the current ordinance is unclear as to what to do with buildings that were painted before it took effect,” said City Attorney John Hessel. The proposed ordinance would make it clear that business owners needed approval from either the Public Works Department or P and Z.
“We need to get the word out – you can’t paint brick,” said Council President Tom Schneider.
Councilman Keith English agreed. “If the ordinance passes, we should send a letter to businesses about it so they know,” he suggested.
Lee said he would put an ordinance on the agenda for the next council meeting.
Concerns About Junk on Carports
The council is also concerned about residences, specifically those with carports. Lee said that Maryland Heights was recently in the news because the council there has proposed an ordinance regulating the amount of things that can be in a carport.
“I like that no junk is allowed,” Lee said. “They [the homeowners] need to have space for one car.” Many homes in Florissant were built in the late ’50s and early ’60s before garage were more than the norm at single family homes. Carports were common on houses built in this area over 50 years ago.
“The administration would like something,” Mayor Robert Lowery said. He said the city sometimes gets complaints about junk in residents’ carports.
The council decided to refer the matter to P and Z for their recommendation.
