Ogunquit family battling to keep tin rooster sculptures on display

OGUNQUIT, Maine — Every morning, 6-year-old Pyper LaBlanc gives a giant tin rooster a hug before heading off to school. The colorful, 6-foot-tall rooster stands in front of the family's home on Route 1, where Pyper waits for her school bus and says goodbye to her unusual companion.

Pyper, who has autism, found comfort in the first rooster sculpture three years ago when her family visited a local store. Her father, Dave LaBlanc, said the collection began as a way to help his daughter cope and has since become an unexpected tourist attraction.

"She saw it, and it just clicked," LaBlanc said. "The roosters make her happy."

The family, which owns The Omelette Factory restaurant attached to their home, now displays 24 roosters of various colors and themes. The sculptures have drawn visitors from as far as Siberia and New Zealand, with tour buses regularly stopping for photos. LaBlanc said a former U.S. president may have also snapped a picture, though he couldn't confirm the rumor.

The joyful display, however, has put the LaBlancs at odds with town officials. Ogunquit code enforcement says the roosters violate an ordinance prohibiting business signage in front of residences. Though the family insists the sculptures are meant solely for Pyper's comfort, not to promote their restaurant, the town has fined them close to $1,000 for the violations.

The fines escalated quickly. The first was $150 for having too many roosters. After the family reduced the display to six roosters, the next fine doubled. They then appealed to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

At a June 11 hearing, the board granted a variance allowing two roosters as a "comfort structure" for Pyper, provided they remain permanently attached to the home and contain no signage promoting The Omelette Factory. The family bolted two roosters to their house and tucked the rest behind bushes.

Days later, they received a third fine for $500, with the town requesting documentation on how the issue would be resolved.

"Do I go out and buy a giant bolt and bolt it right through the rooster's head into the pillar?" LaBlanc asked. "Is that permanent enough?"

The town has indicated some flexibility, with Code Enforcement Officer Tyler McOsker suggesting the roosters could be displayed during certain times of the year, such as holidays. The LaBlancs said this was never communicated to them directly.

Assistant Town Manager Mandy Cummings said in an emailed statement that the town's actions are not discretionary.

"The town does not have the authority to disregard either the ordinances adopted by voters, or the conditions and decisions established through the public zoning board of appeals process," Cummings said, adding that officials would not comment further.

The Omelette Factory does use a rooster as its logo, and one appears on servers' uniforms. LaBlanc said the connection to the restaurant is coincidental.

"It's like a family crest, almost," he said. "It's not like we're serving rooster eggs."

The roosters feature an autism awareness symbol rather than any business branding.

Despite the fines, the LaBlancs said they won't accept donations and will pay the penalties themselves, though they disagree with them.

A Facebook page dedicated to the roosters, originally named "Pyper's Roosters" but changed to "The Roosters of Ogunquit" at Pyper's suggestion, has gained a following. When Pyper asked why the page wasn't named after just her, LaBlanc said he told her the roosters bring happiness to others, too.

"They make you happy," he recalled telling her. "And she says, 'But don't they make other people happy?' They do, and that's the whole point."

The family intends to continue advocating for their roosters, hoping to find a resolution with the town that allows Pyper to keep her companions while complying with local ordinances.

"We moved to Ogunquit to raise our child because it's a beautiful community, and we love it," LaBlanc said. "It's just this one little thing."