A kitschy roadside attraction in North Carolina dubbed the 'Frisco UFO' has landed at the center of a strange bureaucratic battle.
The unlikely landmark was once a beachfront home but now sits abandoned on a property near a highway in the community of Frisco, North Carolina.
It is one of only a handful of remaining prefabricated homes, known as 'Futuro Houses,' which were designed by a Finnish architect and sold during the 1960's.
Although the 'Frisco UFO' has become a popular stopping point for tourists passing through North Carolina, its current owner has greater aspirations for the building, which is what has spawned somewhat of an odd controversy.
As one can probably surmise, since the homes were initially constructed decades ago, subsequent building codes and safety requirements in various states eventually rendered them inhabitable by law.
This is the case for the 'Frisco UFO' which was deemed unfit for occupancy back in 2006.
Owner Leroy Reynolds hopes to change that and has asked the county where the site sits to allow him to turn the building into a 'living museum.'
Unfortunately, his request was rebuffed by officials who told him that he'd have to adjust the structure so that it met the proper guidelines before such a transition could occur.
And therein lies the problem as Reynolds says that he simply doesn't have the funds to pull off such a project.
Where things get weird is that he has launched an online petition claiming that the county will force him to remove the home if the changes are not made.
However, county manager Bobby Outten seemed to dispute that contention, telling WRAL that "no one is asking him to do anything. We're not asking him to remove it or take it down."
In fact, Outten expressed support for the structure, saying "it's not hurting a thing. People seem to enjoy it, so it's a good thing."
Despite that apparent endorsement, Reynolds and the county remain at a standstill over the future of the structure with its owner hoping to generate the funds needed to revive the home or pressure officials into giving him some kind of leeway when it comes to turning it into a museum.
While one hopes that Reynolds can be successful in his quest, as any flying saucer enthusiast could tell him, trying to get help from the government when it comes to UFOs is often a losing battle.
Source: WRAL