Russell Gardens trustees on Thursday voted to amend the village’s building code to require residents who wish to paint the exterior of their homes to first attain a permit and disclose to the village’s design review board what color they plan to use.
Village of Russell Gardens Mayor Steven Kirschner said Monday that the provision would protect the village’s aesthetics and prevent against “something that’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.”
“We have these neutral tones in the village, and you don’t want something you might have in a 9-year-old’s room where he says, ‘no, I have to have the Batman colors,’ or whatever it is,” Kirschner said. “We never know what someone is capable of doing, and they may say, ‘this is great, I want to stand out in the neighborhood.’ Well, this may not be the village for you.”
To attain a permit, applicants must submit to the village a photograph of their home. If they wish to paint the house a different color, they would also have to disclose the new color to the design review board for approval.
