1 TO: City Council
FROM: Ryan Smoot, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Brianna Rindge, Community & Economic Development Director MEETING DATE: March 21, 2023
SUBJECT: Discussion and Consideration of Allowing Murals on Private Property
RECOMMENDATION
Discuss and, if desired, provide staff direction to return with an ordinance further permitting and regulating murals on private property within the City.
BACKGROUND
Since July 1, 2021, the City has spent $27,150.00 removing graffiti from private property throughout the current and previous fiscal years, averaging over $1,500 per month in expenditures for improvements not located on City property. Staff has received requests for mural installation as a means to deter future or continuous graffiti, citing success in other cities. After discussion, should the City Council desire to allow and regulate murals on private property, a zoning text amendment would be required. In addition to murals on private property, Community Development staff is conducting a joint study with Public Works regarding murals within the public right-of-way, such as on utility boxes or other areas. The right-of-way study also considers other public improvements such as crosswalk design, City entry signs, and utility undergrounding, and will be brought back to the City Council at a later date for discussion.
The Lomita Municipal Code (LMC) currently provides for the following related to murals or artwork. All sections are within Title XI (“Planning and Zoning”). Each of the relevant sections is detailed below. In summary, under the existing code, murals are permitted only within the M-C Zone (the south side of Lomita Boulevard between Oak Street and Ebony Lane), unless part of an approved wireless communications facility or landscaping plan.
1. Subsection (16) of Section 11-1.67.02 (“Definitions”) of Article 67 (“Signs”):
“Mural shall mean a large painting, picture or decoration which is applied directly to a wall and which usually depicts a scene or an event.”
Item No. SCH 8a
CITY OF LOMITA
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
2 2. Subsection (5) (“M-C, Light Manufacturing and Commercial”) of Section 11-
1.67.04 (“Sign regulations for specific zones”) of Article 67 (“Signs”):
“Wall murals: Wall murals may be allowed subject to site plan review by the planning commission and subject to the following standards:
(i) Wall murals shall not be used to advertise a particular business establishment or property;
(ii) The intent of a wall mural shall be purely decorative in nature and shall be limited to the depiction of a scene or event related to the City's history; (iii) Exterior wall murals are allowed without being included in the maximum sign area provided that the mural is a painting which includes images or pictorial elements, but does not include trademarks, company logos, or advertising copy, except logos which are determined by the planning commission to have historical significance; and
(iv) Murals shall not be permitted on the same wall in connection with commercial business or advertising signs.”
3. Subsection (o) of Section 11-1.67.05 (“Prohibited signs and sign restrictions”) of Article 67 (“Signs”):
“Murals, as defined in this chapter, shall be permitted only by review and approval of the planning commission.”
4. Section 11-1.15.12(L) of Article 15 (“Definitions”):
“Landscaping shall mean the planting and maintenance of some combination of trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, flowers or lawns. In addition, the combination or design may include natural features such as rock and stone; and structural features, including but not limited to, fountains, reflecting pools, art works, screens, walls, fences and benches.”
5. Section 11-1.69.07 (“Design and development standards”) of Article 69 (“Wireless Communications Facilities”):
“All wireless communication facilities regulated under this Article shall comply with the following design standards:
(B) Monopole or towers.
1. Monopoles and towers shall be located and designed to minimize visual impacts. Towers in highly visible locations must incorporate camouflage design techniques to conceal the tower to the maximum extent feasible.
This may include art, sculpture, clock tower, flag pole, tree or any other appropriate and compatible visual form.”
LMC lacks the following basic guidance regarding murals. • Allowance of murals outside of the relatively small Light Manufacturing Zone • Maintenance responsibilities & update provisions
• Places where murals may be permitted or encouraged (ex: blank walls, construction barricades, parking garages, etc.)
• Development standards (size, height, thickness, color, material, etc.) 3 ANALYSIS
Staff researched mural allowances in 23 other jurisdictions and found the following trends regarding private property murals that may serve to support discussion by the Council. • Requirements for discretionary approval (public hearing) • Size, height, thickness, color, material, etc. requirements • Lighting limits/restrictions
• Use of permanent or long-lasting paint, UV coating protection, medium preventative of vandalism, theft, and weather impact
• Murals may not interfere with traveler safety
• Some jurisdictions do not permit murals as advertisements, while others do • Murals permitted in commercial and industrial zones only • Murals permitted on parking structures
• Murals permitted on construction barricades
• Requiring property owner maintenance of mural; or allowing artist maintenance of the artwork for a reasonable fee, otherwise the city may repair • Provisions for alterations and required minimum length of time of maintenance • Insurance requirements
• Public art requirement on new developments (or in lieu fee payment) – establishment of this type of requirement may require further study and direction by the City Council
• Other public art programs promoting murals, such as a public art program for murals that calls for submittals by the public or students with the winning design(s) considered for production. An example of a similar process is found on Herondo Street on the border of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach (see Attachment 2).
Attachment 2 contains examples of murals to fuel discussion regarding the types of murals Lomita wishes to allow.
Staff seeks discussion and direction from the City Council to draft an ordinance to update the LMC regarding murals as follows.
• Allow requests in other districts beyond the Light Manufacturing Zone • Specify locations murals are allowed (enclosed buildings, walls, parking structures, construction barricades, etc.)
• Regulate size, height, thickness, color, material, lighting, and other development standards
• Requirement of permanent or long-lasting paint, UV coating protection, medium preventative of vandalism, theft, and weather impact
• Specification that the artwork may not interfere with traveler safety • Maintenance and insurance requirements
• Continue to require Planning Commission discretionary approval for all murals
OPTIONS
1. Provide staff direction.
4 2. Take no action and maintain status quo.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Examples of murals from other cities
Reviewed by: Approved by:
Gary Y. Sugano Ryan Smoot
Assistant City Manager City Manager
Prepared by:
________________
Brianna Rindge
Community & Economic Development Director
Attachment 1
Locally Themed
Characters
Encouraging Words
Religious Imagery
Traditional Graffiti Art Mural
Interactive Murals: Photo Op
Interactive Murals: QR Codes
Commercial Murals
Integration with City Infrastructure