FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Pythian Building, or the Richards Building, will remain white moving forward. After a back-and-forth appeal hearing, the council approved the new owners' appeal.
The four-to-three vote, in favor of the building's owner, the Alessio company, caused some frustration at the hearing on Wednesday.
"Historic preservation will always be under attack," says Dr. Virginia Harper, a Lee Trust for Historic Preservation member. "People view it as too many rules and regulations."
Watch to see how the decision was made to keep the building as it:
Harper was part of a group that wanted to preserve the Richards building and have it returned to its original brick color.
She argued the front facade of the building had never been painted before the Alessio company did it earlier this year.
But the company's attorney, Daniel Garza, said that's false.
"I think it's clear that everyone agreed that building had been painted at some point previously, whether it was the sides, the back or the front." says Garza.
Garza says these are tough designs and not easy to make, but he believes the council made the right decision.
Your Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price asked Garza if he believes his clients desired to preserve the building so that it continues to fit in with downtown's historic culture.
He said, "I think they did preserve it."
In March, the city issued a stop order on the new paint job, but the company continued the work anyway.
It stirred up a lot of commentary and perspective about the company coming into the neighborhood to develop. I was interviewing a man at the meeting, and he asked the mayor about that notice.
"The stop work order had nothing to do with today's hearing," says Mayor Anderson. "That's a separate matter, and if code enforcement chooses, they will bring them before the code enforcement board," says Mayor Anderson.
During an interview with Councilman Liston Bochette, he mentioned city staff gathered after the hearing to discuss briefly. No decision was made.
Bochette, Teresa Watkins Brown, and Anderson voted to return the building to its original brick color and uphold the Historic Preservation Commission's decision to deny the Certificate of Review application.
"I voted to defend the preservation as I do with the environment and other issues because it elevates the quality of life," says Councilman Bochette. "We're kind of left out to flip a coin."
Harper and her colleagues tell Fox 4, "This is not the end."
