Well, I see that the Myrtle Beachization of Beaufort County continues. The latest insult is the garish, international orange visual pollution on the building that once was Joe's Spaghetti House, and most recently, the Port Royal Pasta Co.

It was explained to me by a respected member of county government that form-based codes would "probably" prevent this from happening. I also have it on impeccable authority that the architectural standards ordinances in the town of Port Royal do not provide for control over the colors of buildings. This makes no sense to me.

It also made no sense to me a few years back that the city of Beaufort made the then-new Outback restaurant change its roof because it was the wrong shade of paint and then turned around and approved the construction of a coffee house with a roof that looked like a Roman centurion's helmet.

So what's next? Ripley's Believe It Or Not? That's where we are headed unless strict architectural standards are formulated and then strenuously enforced by all jurisdictions in the county. Form-based codes? I don't know. But something needs to be done.

Henry A. Robertson

Beaufort