Decatur Girl sends in this pic of the Living Walls’ “Art House” in progress at 170 Chester Avenue in Atlanta

Okay, that sounds a little melodramatic. The real point is that, sometime in the recent past, a DM commenter had wondered the fate of the Living Wall mural on Oakhurst’s former Big H strip, now that Family Dollar is moving in.

This photo apparently answers that question.

Not a huge surprise. I have to assume that national brand tenants have less appreciation for the funkier things, what with all their “consistency of customer experience” mandates and whatnot. Not to mention the fact that community sentiment on that particular execution was decidedly mixed anyways.

I’ve received a lot of notes about a Decatur Historic Preservation Committee presentation at 6:30p regarding the Living Walls mural on the side of the old Paste two-story commercial building at East Howard and N. Candler, thanks to a couple posts on Living Walls’ Facebook page, which read…

Advocacy Alert! Decatur City Hall: Public Hearing on Living Walls Mural … Some neighbors are trying to have the mural erased! (See also picture below.) 6:30PM TONIGHT!

“Hmm”, I thought to myself.  That seems sort of impossible, because the one thing that preservation ordinances can’t usually regulate is paint color.  A note from the city’s Planning Director Amanda Thompson confirms my suspicions and explains what the meeting will actually entail…

The hearing tonight is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the Living Walls project. Some residents in the Old Decatur local historic district have had questions about the project and requested an opportunity to comment and learn more about it. The preservation commission does not have the authority to remove the mural or change its design.

So there you are then.  Some folks in the Old Decatur Historic District may be displeased with the project, but no one can actually force anyone to remove the mural.

Photo courtesy of Living Walls Facebook page