Mural Ordinance Update to the Cultural Affairs Commission

O v e r v i e w

issues resulting in the current mural prohibition

directions for research and developmentto preserve existing murals and permit new murals

procedural next steps toward adopting a mural ordinance

public outreach efforts

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

D e fi n i t i o n a l

…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

D e fi n i t i o n a l

…is this a mural?

D e fi n i t i o n a l…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

…is this a mural?

signany whole or part of a display board, wall, screen or

object, used to announce, declare, demonstrate, display or otherwise present a message and attract the attention

of the public.

mural signa sign that is painted on or applied to and made integral

with a wall, the written message of which does not exceed three percent of the total area of the sign.

wall signany sign attached to, painted on or erected against the wall of a building or structure, with the exposed face of

the sign in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of the wall.

LAMC SEC 14.4.2

C u r r e n t C o d e D e fi n i t i o n s

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

Are murals banned in LA?

YES (sadly) … and … NO (kind of)

currently, murals may be permitted:

-on city property

-on county, state, or federal property

-on private property pursuant to a legally adopted specific plan,

supplemental use district,or development agreement

(LAMC SEC 14.4.4 B. 10)

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

W h a t ? ! W h y ? !

-pre-1986 – murals not mentioned in Zoning Code

- 1986 – murals first mentioned in sign ordinance, exempted

- 2002 – general ban on murals, creation of “sign districts”

- 2007 – most recent mural approved on private property

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

W h a t n o w ?

Staff direction from the Planning & Land Use Management (PLUM) andArts, Parks, Health, & Aging (APHA) Committees of the City Council:

preserve & protect existing muralsmaybe a “vintage mural permit” … ?

enable creation of new murals“districts,” “original arts murals,”

“public art easements,” other approaches … ?

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

C o n s i d e r a t i o n s

1st amendment

regulations must be “content neutral”

can only include “time / place / manner” restrictions

implementation

program costs , accessibility to the public, maintenance, etc.

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

preservingexistingmurals

V i n t a g e

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

existing mural stock

city, extra-jurisdictional, & private property

pre-2002 murals presumably “grandfathered”but not clear in code

“Vintage Mural Permit”

how to establish date created:copyright, historic news clippings, records/receipts, other?

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

permittingnew

murals

P u b l i c A r t E a s e m e n t s

purpose

program to create new public art on private property bythe City becoming “patron of art” through easement

approach

features

-building owner grants easement on wall to the City-requires arts commission approval

-competitive selection for funding available through the City

-no limitations regarding size, material, etc.-mural must remain in place for 5 years

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

P u b l i c A r t E a s e m e n t s

selection criteria

-artistic quality-context-media-scale

-diversity-feasibility-originality

-structural and surface soundness-building owner easement

-building owner maintenance agreement-community support

-public safety-accessibility

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

benefits

-opportunity for creation of enormous murals-different media and surfaces

-City investment in art and beautification-balanced approach if combined with Original Arts Murals

issues

-tight budgetary times-unease with easement approach

P u b l i c A r t E a s e m e n t s

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

purpose

administrative permit to allow “original art murals”on a content-neutral basis

on certain terms and conditionsin a simple, accessible way

definition of mural

a hand-produced work of visual art which is tiled or painted by hand directly upon,

or affixed directly to an exterior wall of a building

Title 4 Original Art Murals, Charter and Code of the City of Portland, Oregon

O r i g i n a l A r t s M u r a l s

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

• mural to remain in place for 5 years

• building owner cannot receive

compensation

• no mechanical parts or changing

images

• historic & design overlay protections

• no murals on stone walls or brick

• no murals on residential with < 5

units

• neighborhood involvement process

• administrative application & small

fee

benefits

-encourage murals citywide (“let art happen”)-separates art murals from signs

-potentially simple and cheap to administer-content-neutral, time / place / manner restrictions

issues

-training & implementation-assessing public sentiment

-new legal approach

O r i g i n a l A r t s M u r a l s

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

-sign district:sign districts are allowed to be established in areas of the

City,to enhance the unique characteristics

LAMC SEC 13.11

D i s t r i c t s

current provisions

-murals are OKwhen specifically permitted pursuant to:

a legally adopted specific plan,supplemental use district

or an approved development agreement.

LAMC SEC 14.4.4 B. 10

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

Hollywood Sign District

benefits

-promote unique character of communities-murals of different types and materials in different

neighborhoods-may serve as pilot programs

-legal defensibility

issues

-equity in establishment of districts-limited geography

-two-step adoption process

D i s t r i c t s

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

Process

Outreach & Next Steps

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

Questions? Comments?

T h a n k Y o u

intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

Tanner Blackman

City of Los Angeles | Department of City PlanningCode Studies | Office of Zoning Administration

tanner.blackman@lacity.org | 213.978.1195