Posted by Sigh on May 15, 2008 at 14:42:43:
» City asks state to repaint lighthouseBy Amy Moss Strong
Thursday, May 15, 2008 | No comments posted.
The Bandon City Council has sent a letter to the State of Oregon Historic Preservation office, formally asking it to repaint the Coquille River Lighthouse to the white color it was prior to recent restoration efforts.
The City Council discussed the issue at its last meeting, spurred by its mayor, Mary Schamehorn, as well as Judy Knox, the Bandon Historical Society Museum director, who have openly voiced their disapproval of the lighthouse’s new colors.
But the council wasn’t in agreement on whether it should take a stand on the issue. That is, until it was pointed out that all the city’s logos depict the lighthouse in its former colors. Then the question became whether to change the logos to reflect the lighthouse as it now looks, or ask the state to make a change.
The state has presented what it believes to be convincing evidence of why the lighthouse was painted its “new” colors. After many weeks of detailed and methodical research, Sue Licht, a preservation expert with the state’s historic preservation office, determined that the lighthouse could be painted one of several possible historically accurate color schemes. She chose the scheme based on that information, and the lighthouse was then painted with historical accuracy in mind.
Several residents have been less than pleased with the new color scheme, and have been vocal with their displeasure — so much so that the city of Bandon put an item on its agenda for last week’s council meeting to discuss whether or not the city’s logo — which uses a depiction of the lighthouse sporting its former all-white colors — should be changed to reflect the new off-white and brick-red scheme.
The agenda item caused a stir among councilors, with some saying they felt the resolution, which also called for a letter to be sent to the state, asking it to paint the lighthouse with its previous “white” colors, was “too strong and confrontational.” After much discussion at the meeting, the council voted against the resolution 4-2, with councilors Blythe Tiffany and Chris Powell voting to adopt the resolution, and councilors Geri Procetto, Mike Claassen, Nancy Drew and Joe Briscoe voting against. “The lighthouse currently serves as a symbol of the city of Bandon, is used in virtually all of its advertising and promotional literature, and is also the centerpiece of the city’s logo, letterhead and lapel pin,” said City Manger Matt Winkel after the meeting.
Winkel said the city was not notified of the new color scheme prior to it being painted. The Coquille River Lighthouse is federally owned, and leased by the Oregon State Parks Department, which operates the adjacent Bullards Beach State Park.
Funds for the restoration have, so far, been raised through grants and donations by Oregon State Parks and the Bandon Lighthouses Keepers Foundation, as well as $190,000 from the city of Bandon’s urban renewal agency.
“Although there are some visitors and residents and historians who appreciate the new colors, there are a significant number of local residents who (have told me they) very much object to the new colors,” Winkel said. “... Although it was painted many times over its history, no one alive today can recall the building being any other color than white,” Winkel added.
After the resolution calling for a letter to be sent to the state was defeated, the council came to a consensus that each councilor would work on language that would be more acceptable and bring their recommendations back to the next meeting.
That opportunity came sooner than expected, when the council called a special meeting three days later, on May 8, to “move the request forward as expeditiously as possible.” The letter written by Roger Straus, president of the Coquille River Lighthouse Keepers, asks the state to repaint the lighthouse to the “white” color is was prior to the beginning of the restoration project. The council voted unanimously to send the letter.
“The council decided this was the most appropriate approach to solving the problem,” Winkel said.