A
Nassau pizzeria owner teamed up with a local artist to try to spread some
happiness during the pandemic. Instead, he was summonsed.
The
mural was painted on the walls outside Joanne’s Gourmet Pizza and the Dunkin’
Donuts/Baskin Robbins on Route 25A in the Village of Flower Field.
Building
owner Rina DiMaria wanted to brighten things up during what many say are dark
times, so he commissioned artist Spencer Stown to paint the ceiling.
“I
asked him to…do one of the walls of the building and that snowballed to doing
most of the building," said DiMaria.
It
took Stown three days to finish the mural. DiMaria was hit with hefty fines the
next day.
"I
figured it would brighten up this dreary corner and make people smile as they
drove by," said DiMaria.
Stown
says he doesn’t understand why it needs to be painted over.
“I
really don’t think it is hurting anybody,” he told News 12.
Brian
Herrington, the mayor of Flower Hill, requested that the building be restored
to its previous color. DiMaria says he plans to do that weather,
permitting.
Herrington’s full statement:
“The
Village received numerous complaints about newly applied exterior wall paint at
the business located on the corner of Middleneck Road and Northern Boulevard.
We have been in contact with the owner and we were informed that the exterior
will be restored to the same color as before. We have taken appropriate actions
per our code and will take further action should that become necessary. The
Village is happy to work with our businesses and residents if they would like
to alter their buildings, as we have throughout this pandemic, using the
processes provided for under our code.”