Pink limo causes stir in Cary

Raleigh, N.C. — A bright pink limo parked at the Cary Towne Center has caused some complaints in the city that is known for its neutral color palette.

The limo is used by the Sweet and Sassy Spa for girls, which opened at the mall in May. Owner Brenda Sizemore said many refer to the business as “girl heaven.”

The limo transports girls to and from the spa. The vehicle’s bright color was selected because “that’s what little girls are all about – pink,” Sizemore said.

While customers may like the color, a handful of people complained to town officials and asked if the limo was violating any town code.

Town of Cary Senior Planner Dan Matthys said the vehicle is “in compliance” with the city’s ordinance.

If the vehicle were parked along a busy road, such as Walnut Street, the limo would be in violation of the town’s sign rules, Matthys said. The limo is not a distraction to traffic because it is parked far enough away from a main road.

A black-and-white striped Humvee used by White Tiger Taekwondo was found to violate the ordinance.

“The Town of Cary called it unprofessional, because we were on the main road here,” White Tiger’s Brad Bishop said.

Two years ago, the town started fining the company for illegal signage.

“I think it ended up getting around $2,000 a day,” Bishop said.

White Tiger never paid the fine and found a way to keep the vehicle from being a stationary sign.

“We move the vehicles around, so they’re never in the same spot,” Bishop said.

The Sweet and Sassy limo has a permanent parking space as part of the owner's lease.

The town has an ordinance regulating the color of business signs. It states “the use of high-intensity colors or fluorescent pigments is prohibited.” Because of that ordinance, Sweet and Sassy does not have a pink sign at its store. The ordinance does not apply to the color of the limo, however.