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Prattville commission approves painting of 124 West Main Street over dissenting votes
Summary
The Historic Preservation Commission approved the city’s request to paint the exterior of 124 West Main Street, a noncontributing building in the district, by a 5–2 vote; staff cited floodproofing, existing damage and surrounding painted buildings as rationale.
The City of Prattville’s Historic Preservation Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness allowing the city to paint the exterior of 124 West Main Street, the building that houses the commission meeting, by a 5–2 vote.
City staff presented photographs showing existing damage and prior paint at the bottom portions of the structure and outlined a broader downtown context: “There are 40 buildings that surround this building. 23 of those have painted brick on them,” the city presenter said, explaining that roughly 58% of surrounding properties already have painted brick and that several were painted within the last three to seven years.
Staff said the structure is classified as a noncontributing building in the historic district and that painting the brick would support planned exterior work and upcoming floodproofing. The presenter explained the project team’s objective: to make the building’s façade consistent with recent downtown improvements and to use floodproofing-compatible paint where necessary.
Commissioners split in their responses. Commissioner Davis asked that the record reflect the building has multiple construction dates, the most recent in 1988, and argued that noncontributing status is material to the decision. “This building does have several construction dates, the most recent of which, was 1988,” Davis said for the record. Another commissioner expressed concern about setting a precedent for painting historically unpainted brick but recognized the floodproofing and condition arguments; one commissioner said the building’s current condition made painting a practical improvement.
The commission moved to approve the city’s painting proposal; the chair called the vote as 5 in favor and 2 opposed. The staff presenter said the paint project would include repainting areas that already have existing paint and that final paint colors would reflect the district’s aesthetic. Staff also noted that certain floodproofing measures may require painting portions of the exterior to meet mitigation thresholds.
Commissioners asked staff to confirm the height of any floodproofing paint required and to coordinate final colors with the commission prior to large-scale application. The motion carried 5–2.
