On Wednesday, October 12, 2011, Code Studies staff, with staff from the Department of Cultural Affairs, presented an update on the mural ordinance to the joint-Planning+Arts Committees of the LA City Council. The joint-committee instructed staff to develop an ordinance to protect vintage murals and permit new murals through time/place/manner regulations. Also, the joint-committee asked for a report back concerning costs and possible funding sources for a possible public art easement ordinance.

2. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
O v e r v i e w
issues resulting in the current mural prohibition
directions for research and development
to preserve existing murals and permit new murals
procedural next steps toward adopting a mural ordinance
public outreach efforts
direction from the joint-committee
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3. …is this a mural?

4. …is this a mural?

5. …is this a mural?

6. Definitional
…is this a mural?

7. …is this a mural?

8. …is this a mural?

9. …is this a mural?

10. …is this a mural?

11. …is this a mural?

12. …is this a mural?

13. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Current Code Definitions
sign
any 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 sign
a 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 sign
any 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
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approximately parallel to the plane of the wall.
LAMC SEC 14.4.2

14. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
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)
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15. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
What?! Why?!
-pre-1986 – murals not mentioned in LA Municipal 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
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W h a t n o w ?
Staff direction from the Planning & Land Use Management (PLUM) and
Arts, Parks, Health, & Aging (APHA) Committees of the City Council:
preserve & protect existing murals
maybe a “vintage mural permit” … ?
enable creation of new murals
“districts,” “original arts murals,”
“public art easements,” other approaches … ?
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17. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Considerations
1st amendment
regulations must be “content neutral”
can only include “time / place / manner” restrictions
implementation
program costs , accessibility to the public, maintenance, etc.
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18. preserving
existing
murals
intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

19. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
V i n t a g e
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?
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20. permitting
murals
new
intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

21. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Public Art Easements
purpose
program to create new public art on private property by
the 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
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22. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Public Art Easements
sample 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
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-accessibility

23. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Public Art Easements
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
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24. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Original Art Murals
purpose
administrative permit to allow “original art murals”
on a content-neutral basis
on certain terms and conditions
in 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
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Title 4 Original Art Murals, Charter and Code of the City of Portland, Oregon

25. •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

26. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
Original Art Murals
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
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27. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
D i s t r i c t s
current provisions
-murals are OK
when specifically permitted pursuant to:
a legally adopted specific plan,
supplemental use district
or an approved development agreement.
LAMC SEC 14.4.4 B. 10
-sign district:
sign districts are allowed to be established in areas of the City,
to enhance unique characteristics
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LAMC SEC 13.11

28. Hollywood Sign District

29. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
D i s t r i c t s
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
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30. s
P
o
s
c
e
r
intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

31. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
DCP Public Participation Policy
between day 1
day 1 day 60 day 76 day 90
& day 60
release conduct end of release CPC
draft workshop / comment finalized, hearing
ordinance staff period signed
hearing staff
recommendatio
n
report
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32. intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps
T h a n k Y o u
Questions? Comments?
Tanner Blackman
City of Los Angeles | Department of City Planning
Code Studies | Office of Zoning Administration
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tanner.blackman@lacity.org | 213.978.1195