Who knew a little bit of artificial turf could get a restaurant owner in trouble?

Not Vincenzo Padula, the owner of Cafe Del Mar, a popular Fort Lauderdale restaurant that sits on a site with a highly coveted historic landmark designation.

To prettify the restaurant, Padula installed apple green faux turf to cover brick pavers in the outdoor dining area.

Within weeks he was cited by code enforcement and told the city’s Historic Preservation Board needed to sign off on the very modern new floor covering.

Padula took his request to the board, but was told his $20,000 investment did not meet historic preservation guidelines and must be removed.

Now he’s seeking approval from a higher authority: The City Commission.

Padula hopes the commission will reverse the ruling. He might just get his wish.

During a recent City Hall meeting, Padula had to persuade commissioners to agree to review his case.

After hearing the details from Padula’s attorney, Commissioner Steve Glassman argued the commission should hear the case at an upcoming meeting on March 3.

“I think you sometimes have to give a little to deal with modern times,” Glassman said. “I think this discussion about what is really a rug over non-historic pavers is a bit of a reach. It’s a bit of a reach because of the fact that this turf is an installation that is temporary. It’s fully removable. And the pavers have nothing to do with the history of the building. There’s no alteration to the historic structure.”

Long before Cafe Del Mar came along, there was the Lauderdale Beach Hotel, an Art Deco hotel built in 1936 and designed by renowned Miami Beach architect Roy France.

In 2001, a developer came to town with plans to demolish the old hotel and put up a condo tower.

Glassman — not yet a commissioner but at the time head of the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation — led the charge to turn the hotel into a historic landmark.

In the end, the hotel was knocked down, but the facade was preserved. Behind it rose the 29-story Las Olas Beach Club condo.

During last week’s meeting, Glassman took the room on a trip down memory lane.

“About 25 years ago, I actually filed the request for historic designation on this hotel,” Glassman said. “I was upset when I heard that it was going to be demolished. We were able to preserve the facade on all three sides, not just the side that faces A1A. That being said, I do consider myself a historic preservationist but perhaps not as pure as some (historic preservationists) consider themselves.”

Pulling up the artificial turf could prove harmful to the business, Glassman said.

“It does make for a cozier area,” he added. “Not as cold as it was before. It just seems more comfortable.”

In addition, the owner of the restaurant asked the city’s building department if a permit was required and was told no.

“That also has to be factored in,” Glassman said.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan