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Sanford coffee-shop owner criticizes historic-preservation panel after exterior-paint denial
Summary
At the March 4 Sanford City Council meeting, Family Grounds co-owner David Heimbecker told council members the city's Historical Preservation Committee denied his request to paint previously unpainted brick on his downtown storefront and urged the committee be dissolved or reconstituted.
David Heimbecker, co-owner of the downtown coffee shop Family Grounds, told the Sanford City Council on March 4 that the city's Historical Preservation Committee denied his request to repaint the exterior of 131 and 133 Wicker Street and asked that the committee be dissolved.
Heimbecker said he and his wife acquired the property in 2022 and remodeled the interior to create a gathering place for the city. He described the committee's decision to prohibit painting as a barrier to his efforts to align the building's exterior with his business brand. "In November of 2022, we stood before this board and supplied notice and reason of our intent to paint the outside of our building alabaster white... After a little over an hour, this board simply said no, we were not allowed to paint our private property," Heimbecker said.
Heimbecker told council that the bricks had previously been painted and later sandblasted, and he disputed the committee's assertion that previously unpainted brick must remain unpainted. He also expressed concern about the committee's composition and authority, saying none of the members appeared to own commercial downtown property and that he had not voted for the committee members. He asked the council to dissolve the panel or grant property owners greater flexibility over downtown exteriors.
Council members later addressed the public comment. Councilmember Rose said the city values volunteer committees and apologized for derogatory remarks made about committee members during public comment, noting that the volunteers are residents who contribute time to the city. "These residents...serve on these committees and commit their time and energy to these committees and...I apologize for that," Rose said.
No formal action on the Historical Preservation Committee or rules for painting storefronts was taken during the meeting; Heimbecker's remarks were made during the public-comment portion of the agenda.
The exchange highlights an ongoing tension between downtown property owners seeking exterior renovations tied to business branding and the city's historic-preservation review process. Heimbecker said he has sought permission and completed required steps but remained unable to proceed with the exterior paint he described. Council did not direct staff to change the committee's authority during the meeting.
