Formstone - Gone Forever?

So, today I heard the devastating news that Formstone will likely be banned on all new construction in Baltimore City. This was like hearing that steamed crabs would no longer be sold in Baltimore.

Formstone (described as the "polyester of brick" by Baltimore film director John Waters) was originally designed as an upgrade to aging brick homefronts. But it's popularity became so widespread  that before long, faux stone facades became the signature look of houses all over the city. But a new proposed zoning code may finally put an end to Charm City's signature look.

For those who remember the 1987 movie "Tin Men", director Barry Levinson had originally planned on having the main characters (played by Danny DeVito and Richard Dreyfuss) peddling Formstone. But concerned that it wouldn't register with audiences outside of the Maryland area, he choose aluminum siding as his material.

The proposed ban has really ruffled some feathers of many city residents. Many see this as just another government infringement on their property rights. Other nostalgic residents are simply upset to see the classic look being phased out.

To be fair, the art of Formstone was drying up anyway. They're just aren't that many brick masons who specialize in the simulated stone anymore.  But is it really the government's job to pull the plug on it now? I could see if it was downright hideous, but I always thought that it looked good. My parents, who live in a duplex on the southern tip of Baltimore City,  have Formstone on the front of their house. Hell, I didn't even realize that the "bricks" were fake until I was a teenager! And driving through the streets of Locust Point many times through the years, I thought the Formstone fronts looked much better than the sight of crumbling brick and mortar. So, why ban it? Is it really worse than the boarded up crackhouses that you see in other areas of the city?

Through recent years, the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill and Locust Point areas have seen an increased migration of yuppies. I can't help but think that this has at least a little something to do with all of this. And I find it ironic that in a place like Baltimore, where someone is killed in the street almost every day, city officials think that banning Formstone will somehow make life better. Really?

Hey Natty Boh man, I would watch your back. They might be coming after you next......

kw