Color Of Dentist's Office Causing An Uproar In Lodi
LODI (CBS13) - A purple-painted building in Lodi has some neighbors seeing red.
One planning commissioner says he's received more than a dozen complaints because of the bold color, and now the Lodi city planner says it even violates city code.
The building is painted purple on purpose, but because it's surrounded by shades of brown, the purple paint is amassing a powerful response.
"It definitely sticks out," Neighbor Peter Williams said. "I'm not happy with it. It is a bit of an eyesore."
The building is home to a children's dentist. The owners chose the purple paint to help entice kids to get their teeth cleaned.
Mom Amrit Chahal is a new client.
"And it was easy to find because it was purple," Chahal said.
She just made an appointment for her children.
"So when they see a colorful color on a building I think it will make them feel more excited to come inside," Chahal said.
Now the city of Lodi may drill down into the dentist's wallet, forcing him to pay for a new paint job. The city planner says the building is in violation of a city code that reads:
"Materials and colors shall be selected to unify the building appearance and fit into the pedestrian scale. Avoid overly vibrant colors and/or monochromatic color palettes."
The city planner has fielded dozens of complaints over the purple paint to code enforcement. And the enforcement team will determine whether to force a new paint job.
Doctor Ronaldo Opinga issued a statement reading: "We don't know what's going on yet until we hear from the city. Then we'll see what our move is."
It's a purple predicament for a Lodi business owner.
"This isn't the neighborhood for really sore thumbs," Williams said.
"Honestly I think there are more important issues to worry about in the city then the color of a building," Chahal said.
Proper oversight? Or petty politics?
In Lodi, this purple building is causing an uproar.
