UPDATE: Douglas Development told 7 News on Tuesday that it will keep the original colors in place after review and hearing feedback from the community.
Elizabeth Cassidy, Village and Town of East Aurora Code Enforcement officer, told 7 News that she issued a stop work order on the re-painting late Monday afternoon. According to Cassidy, she was seeking a "certificate of appropriateness" from Douglas Development on the scope of the painting. They wanted to know if the masonry and unpainted surfaces were being painted as well as the existing painted surface. All designated landmarks in East Aurora require a certificate for this type of work.
The code enforcement office will keep an eye on the project but it has also been informed that the paint is going back to its original colors.
ORIGINAL: The Roycroft Inn is getting a brand-new paint color. East Aurorans are raising questions as the green exterior of the 119-year-old historic landmark is being painted over black and white.
Rick Ohler and Sue Sheldon are a few of the many voicing their concerns over the big visual change to the national historic landmark.
You can watch our original reporting on the story and hear from voices in the community in the player below.
“I think it loses the character. It becomes something that you see off the exit of the thruway somewhere,” Ohler said. “It’s a national historic landmark, this whole campus is, and it should be treated with the respect that it's due.”
“Shocked a little bit at the extreme change,” Sheldon said. “To me, that doesn’t resemble what the Roycroft always has been.”
Many others taking to social media:
The painters on site even told me they’ve received threats of damage to their property for just doing their jobs.
As for the legality of this decision to repaint, on page 7 of the East Aurora Historic Preservation Commission’s guidelines, it states, “The HPC views periodic re-painting as routine maintenance and repair which does not require a certificate of appropriateness. The HPC does not tell the property owner what color to use.”
When I reached out to ask the Commission if this change falls under those guidelines, I did not receive a call or message back.
Further down on that same document, it references the Roycroft by name saying, “If East Aurora has a signature architectural style, it is arts and crafts…the Roycroft was a singularly important manifestation of the arts and crafts movement in America.”
Ohler feels this change to the building is getting away from that exact style the Commission commended it for.
“It couldn’t be less arts and crafts, the white and black” Ohler said.
“I think we’re muted, more subdued,” Sheldon said.
An employee told me this change was even a surprise to them and their co-workers, finding out about it only when the painters arrived at 9 a.m.
I requested comment from both the inn and property owner Douglas Jemal but have not heard back.
