The Park Ridge City Council narrowly approved a mural program that may see civic pride on display on public buildings around town.
The 4-2 vote at the Aug. 3 meeting came after a debate on the difference between a sign advertising the building and art promoting the overall city. The program will allow all public buildings to have murals painted on them, pending approval from City Hall. The upkeep of those murals and the cost of the murals would be up to the owners of the buildings.
The city has been considering a mural program since May and since the earliest discussions, city staff struggled to find a workable definition of what constitutes a sign for a building and a piece of art.
The ordinance the council approved basically defined a sign as having “letters, products, logos, and similar elements are being used in the presented project. Should those items be included and are in connection with the proposed business/entity, the project would be considered signage rather than a mural.” In addition, the mural may not depict “similar elements which relate to the nature of the business located on the property.”
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The city already has standards for signs. However, public buildings include things like schools and park offices, all of which have logos. Moreover, the mural program is only for public buildings. All private buildings would have to get approval for a sign.
The proposal passed unanimously through the Planning and Zoning Commission, and Community Preservation and Development Director Drew Awsumb said there was no public comment made. Indeed, at the Aug. 3 meeting, nobody from the public had anything to say about the proposal.
But the alderpeople were not so silent.
“I’m still struggling with the definition of the mural,” said Alderperson Lauren Rapisand. “It’s a bit restrictive.”
She pointed out District 64, a local school district, might want a logo featured on a school mural, and she worried the mascot, a wildcat, might be forbidden.
“If a school wanted to do that, they could apply and go through the (sign) process,” Awsumb pointed out. He added that a school mascot might not be a logo per se.
“If it was just a mascot of lions without lettering or any indication that we would consider signage, I don’t think we’d prevent them from having that on the building,” he said.
Awsumb said he doubts schools would have any issues meeting the city’s criteria, as whatever they’re promoting is likely local history and town character anyway. The distinction was intended to prevent a publicly-owned building from allowing a business to paint a sign on it and, more likely, to prevent a business from underwriting a mural and adding the business logo to the mural.
But schools promoting their mascots and other school activities ought to be fine, Awsumb said.
“I think a public school having the school’s history or a famous teacher that taught there, it’s up to the city to approve it (and) I don’t think we’d have any issues approving that,” he said.
Alderperson Joseph Steinfels, who said he had attended the planning and zoning meetings, said he didn’t think the regulations would be a problem at all.
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“I can’t imagine this definition would prevent Roosevelt Elementary of having a picture of a tiger kicking a ball or running in a field,” he said.
Alderperson Kelly Lawrence then asked if the ordinance also prevented the city of Park Ridge from using its logo and Steinfels said it would classify the logo as a sign.
Ultimately, however, the council did approve the mural program.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.