Mural Presentation Paves Way for Repeal of Prohibition

LOS ANGELES - Councilmembers Ed P. Reyes and Paul Krekorian held a special joint meeting today to continue charting a course for the future of murals in the city of Los Angeles. Krekorian, chair of the Arts, Parks & Neighborhoods Committee, and Reyes, chair of the Planning & Land Use Management Committee, along with Councilmember Jose Huizar, issued a series of recommendations that will pave the way for a brand new sign code to permit murals on private property. 

The councilmembers, after hearing from some of the city's finest muralists,  issued the following recommendations:

1) Approve the October 7, 2011, Cultural Affairs Department proposed recommendations to permit murals on private property, and thereby request the City Planning Department, in consultation with the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance to adopt the Vintage Mural Permit and the Time, Place, Manner Permit, inasmuch as these options would be cost neutral to the City. This now heads to the Planning Commission. 
 

2) Instruct the City Administrative Officer to work with the Cultural Affairs Department, Planning Department, Department of Building and Safety, and in consultation with the City Attorney, to provide a cost estimate that quantifies staff costs to issue, administer, and enforce a Public Art Easement Permit for fine art and public art murals to be located on private property, and to identify the source of funds to do so.  Also, include report on resources available for the maintenance of existing murals and recommended strategies/mechanisms for funding the maintenance of existing murals through a Public Art Easement approach. Comes back to another joint Arts/PLUM committee meeting. 
 
3) Instruct the CAO, Department of Cultural Affairs, and other city departments to identify contractual personnel, staff, and any other costs associated with implementing the city’s mural permitting, enforcement and maintenance program. Comes back to another joint Arts/PLUM committee meeting.  
 
The joint committee also asked the Cultural Affairs and Planning departments to develop a process to install fine art murals on private property and considered and to grandfather murals at least five years old.


At issue is a May 2002 ordinance approved by the City Council that amended regulations governing prohibited signs to include Supergraphic Signs, Inflatable Devices and Murals Signs. The City Council is crafting an ordinance, consistent with the First Amendment, that permits fine art murals on private property, and thus restores Los Angeles as the "mural capital of the world." 

The presentation below is the result of ongoing meetings with muralists, art organizations and other stakeholders. 

Mural Presentation ###