On August 18, 2011, Code Studies staff presented to the City of Los Angeles' Cultural Affairs Commission on progress, directions of research, and public outreach for the mural ordinance under development.

2. Overview 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 intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

3. Definitional …is this a mural?

4. …is this a mural?

5. …is this a mural?

6. Definitional …is this a mural?

7. Definitional …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. 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 approximately parallel to the plane of the wall. LAMC SEC 14.4.2 intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

14. 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

16. 2002 – general ban on murals, creation of “sign districts”

17. 2007 – most recent mural approved on private propertyintro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

18. What now? 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 … ? intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

19. Considerations 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

20. preserving existing murals intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

21. Vintage 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

22. permitting new murals intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

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

24. Public Art Easements 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

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

26. Original Arts 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 intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP Title 4 Original Art Murals, Charter and Code of the City of Portland, Oregon

28. building owner cannot receive compensation

29. no mechanical parts or changing images

30. historic & design overlay protections

31. no murals on stone walls or brick

32. no murals on residential with < 5 units

33. neighborhood involvement process

35. Districts current provisions -murals are OK when specifically permitted pursuant to: a legally adopted specific plan, supplemental use district or an approved development agreement. intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP LAMC SEC 14.4.4 B. 10 -sign district: sign districts are allowed to be established in areas of the City, to enhance the unique characteristics LAMC SEC 13.11

36. Hollywood Sign District

37. Districts 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 intro| definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

38. Process intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

39. Outreach & Next Steps intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP

40. Thank You Questions? Comments? intro | definition | background | approaches | next steps MURAL WORKING GROUP Tanner Blackman City of Los Angeles | Department of City Planning Code Studies | Office of Zoning Administration tanner.blackman@lacity.org | 213.978.1195