The Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, senior pastor for Oak Lawn UMC, said it “filled my heart”
to see so many people turn out in support of the church’s rainbow steps
(David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
The Dallas Landmark Commission this week approved a request from officials from Oak Lawn United Methodist Church for a certificate of appropriateness for the rainbow- painted steps on its Cedar Springs Road entrance. The Late Gothic Revival building has local landmark status as well as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Landmark Commission met in Dallas City Hall chambers on Monday, Jan. 5. The task force recommendation going into the meeting was that the “temporary art installation,” as the painted steps were called in the church’s petition, “be denied without prejudice.”
But the task force may only make recommendations based on the ordinance passed for that specific landmarked property. And the law states that the building may not be painted.
City staff may make recommendations to the Landmark Commission, and that advice may differ from the ordinance and task force. City staff recommended a one-year certificate of appropriateness for the painted stairs and referred to them as an art installation.
The chairwoman of the commission explained that the commission may do things outside of the dictates of the ordinance.
Interested citizens packed the city council briefing room as well as the overflow area. More people tuned in to watch the hearing online.
All of the people who signed up to speak indicated they were in favor of allowing the painted stairs to remain.
The first speaker was Oak Lawn UMC Senior Pastor the Rev. Rachel Griffin-Allison, who began by pointing out the steps were already painted and the church didn’t need to get special permission when it painted them bright red nor when they changed the color to gray.
She assured the commission that the steps were where neighbors entered the building and were painted as an act of welcome, not an act of defiance.
“Neighbors are present today because this place matters to them,” the pastor said.
Former board member John Horany talked about the history of the building that predates the city of Cedar Springs being incorporated into the city of Dallas. Horany said in 2017 he was married on the steps in question at a time when he could not get married inside a Methodist church, so they hold special meaning for him.
He described renovations of the building and what good stewards the congregation has been of the historic site. The church hired an expert in the building’s style of architecture.
They meticulously researched the color of grout used and ordered tiles from a manufacturer in Italy, the only place that still made the particular tile used when the building was built in 1915.
One speaker, who lives in Denton, said he came to Dallas to speak to the commission because he was kicked out of his church when he came out. But he knew he was welcome at Oak Lawn UMC.
“Keeping the rainbow steps is Christlike,” he said.
One speaker after another used the word “safe” in describing how the rainbow entrance to the church made them feel. That included one of the church’s straight members, who asked the commission to “respect the wishes of the congregation.”
And a speaker who said he didn’t go to services at the church but attended an AA meeting there added, “The steps tell me I’ll be safe,” he said.
Other speakers said the rainbow stairs “brought me hope and comfort,” “bring a smile to my face,” and “provide love and joy and kindness.” Another described them as “art with meaning.”
Another member of the church said that a number of years ago, the steps were deteriorating.
They sent pictures to the state’s landmark commission with a letter that said “We’ll be repairing them.” The state responded thanking them for the information and didn’t comment about the plan to paint them “blood red.”
One speaker summed it up by telling the commission, “If you don’t like rainbows, there are 20,000 other streets in Dallas,” and hundreds of other churches without rainbows.
Former Landmark Commissioner Cindy Steiner said the church isn’t trying to set a precedent, “This is temporary art on a religious building,” she said. “This is religious expression.”
After all the speakers spoke, one of the commissioners had a question for the church. The city staff recommendation was to issue a one-year certificate allowing the art installation.
After one year, was the church planning to apply for a one-year extension?
When Griffin-Allison said yes, the commissioner said he would like to make an amendment: change one year to three years.
With little discussion, the certificate of appropriateness was issued unanimously and amended to three years.
After the meeting, Griffin-Allison said she was delighted with the cooperation of the commission and “it filled my heart” so many members of the community came out in support and spoke so well.
“And three years is great,” she said.
Who knows what we’ll be dealing with three years from now.