Gomi is gone - Austin no longer keeping it weird

(The offending Cat Head as seen from Jo's)

Did the Sunday Scooter Crew bit yesterday and noticed something was not-quite-right. Hrm... What was it... Something was missing. OH! GOMI! What happend to the big red cat head and all the neon? The whole store was gone! After 6 years! Whats up with that? Well turns out some buzz-kill who shouldn't even be on the southside ANYWAY went "boo-who" to the city and had it taken out. Sucka perpetrater! I hope your happy with yourself! Before you know it SOCO and Lamar will have straight-laced skyscrapers and landscaping up one-side and down the other. With the destruction of their natural habitat, the tattooed weirdness will no longer be seen roaming and the people watchers will have to sit at Jo's and read the paper and do normal stuff. Sad.

You can also read this news bit from KXAN.

"Austin's South Congress is the land of the giant boot, home to a zebra, a-la-Carmen Miranda. It is also where neon, wild paint jobs and larger than life hamburgers line the street.

It's one sign that's causing all the trouble.

Gomi has been in business six years, two of that on South Congress. It is a locally owned shop specializing in funky clothes and collectible Anime toys.

"This is not The Gap. This is not Barnes & Noble. This Austin. This is why it says "Keep Austin Weird,'" Gomi co-owner April Lohse said.

But how weird is too weird? After an anonymous complaint to the city back in November, a code enforcement inspector determined the giant cat head sticks out 36 inches into the street.

City code says signs can only stick out 18 inches, but is the flaming red cat head a sign or is it art?

"I can have an awning of the same dimensions, but I cannot have a foam sculpture cat head," Lohse said.

Since the city doesn't offer any permits for foam sculptures, Gomi's owners face a fine of $2,000 a day if the cat stays."