City proposes new permitting process allowing murals to escape advertising regulation

For many years murals were a welcome and much enjoyed presence in Portland. But when advertisers got more aggressive about putting up billboards, electric signs and, yes, murals of their own, non-commercial murals fell victim to the strictures of regulating crass ads. (The picture above is of a mural on Hawthorne Boulevard called "Share the Road" by Sara Stout.)

Now the City of Portland hopes to bring to life the art of public murals once again through a new permitting process. With the aid of a Murals Working Group and other stakeholders, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is proposing a new process that allows murals to be permitted separately from sign regulations or from the Regional Arts and Culture Council's Public Art program.

Original art murals meeting specific definitions and placement requirements will be allowed through a new mural permit.  The permits will be administered through the Bureau of Development Services in their Development Services Center.

“The city should not restrict artists from doing art,” said Planning Commissioner Howard Shapiro. “Murals enhance the community. They are a civic treasure that should be encouraged. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has released a proposed draft for the Original Art Murals Project in anticipation of the Planning Commission's Public Hearing on this project to be held on May 12, 2009, at 12:30 p.m. The draft and more information can be found online.

City Council will likely review and vote on the proposal in mid- to late June. BDS plans to hold an open house on the administrative rules governing the procedures in July, and the new program should become effective in August.

Comments

[billb]

Of Course , BDS never saw an activity that doesn't require an expensive permit. I gotta an idea , how about if we just say 'just do it', a mural is in theory a form of protected free speech. What are they gonna review , the color compatability , the paint spec ...

[Mr DeJerk]

Thank ClearChannel for the regulations. They were the ones that originally sued the City of Portland for not regulating murals.

I am glad this is finally being reviewed. I've heard of a few cases about people having great artists installing murals on their facades and having to remove them a month later, after being informed that that mural wasn't "approved".