A Villager who painted her home the wrong color will have to repaint the house after a complaint was lodged by a neighbor.
The home of Michele Pedersen at 2869 Rain Lily Loop in the Village of Sanibel was the subject of a public hearing Thursday afternoon before the Community Development District 9 Board of Supervisors at Savannah Center.
The base color Pedersen used on her home was removed from CDD 9’s color palette last year.
However, Pedersen testified she hired Steve Kling Painting for the repainting job and he assured her that the base color she selected was on the approved palette. She said she was unaware that CDD 9 made a change to the color palette.
Pedersen said she had attempted to contact Community Standards about the paint job, but was unable to speak to anyone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I did try to visit the District Office multiple times. However, the office was closed and I couldn’t get through on the phone,” Pedersen said.
She expressed frustration that a single complaint from a neighbor could cost her thousands of dollars to repaint her home.
“I take great pride in my property. It is quite disappointing to hear that someone in the neighborhood filed a complaint,” she said.
William Norton, who lives across the street, was at the hearing to support his neighbor and agreed with her assessment of the situation.
“Everybody on the street loves the house. There is one person who made a complaint,” Norton said.
Pedersen claimed she was in possession of photos and addresses of homes in CDD 9 that are the same color of her newly repainted home. Those paint jobs are not in jeopardy because no one has complained.
Supervisor Steve Brown asked for some compassion for Pedersen from his fellow supervisors.
“We had a policy change and a pandemic,” Brown said.
However, CDD 9 Board Chairman Jack Reimer stood up for the well-publicized process last year by which the color palette was updated.
“If you make an exception, you might as well not have a policy,” Reimer said.
He also emphasized that homeowners are ultimately responsible for ensuring that their property is in compliance.
“Many people have gotten very bad advice from contractors. In the end, you are responsible,” Reimer said.
The board agreed to give Pedersen 90 days to repaint her home.