December 05, 2013

City News Service

 

The Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved a pilot program on Tuesday December 3 to allow murals on single-family homes in northeast Los Angeles, Boyle Heights and parts of South Los Angeles. While the council earlier this year lifted a decade-long ban on murals for commercial buildings and multi-unit residential buildings, murals are still prohibited on single-family homes. The council voted 14-1 to allow murals on single-family residential buildings in the 1st, 9th and 14th Council Districts.

Because of a dissenting vote by Councilman Bernard Parks, who represents the 8th district, the pilot program ordinance will return for a second reading and vote. R&B singer Chris Brown had a mural painted on a wall outside his home in the Hollywood Hills this past summer. But the mural, featuring brightly colored characters about 8-feet-tall, caused such a stir among neighbors that Brown, who challenged the city ordinance banning residential murals, eventually had the artwork painted over.

In addition to the pilot program, the amended ordinance also would allow murals on roll-down security doors on commercial and industrial buildings. While residents in some parts of Los Angeles expressed opposition to murals on homes, 9th district City Coun­cilman Curren Price Jr. said people in his district were receptive to murals on homes.  Price asked for his district to be included in the pilot program, which initially was to apply only to the 1st and 14th districts. He said residents in the 9th district are working with “local nonprofits and residents to reclaim and beautify our streets and murals.”

Category: Community