Planning commission approves mural at 36 Lyon Boulevard with conditions

The Springdale Planning Commission approved a retrospective mural at 36 Lyon Boulevard on Aug. 20, requiring the majority of its colors to comply with the town color palette and removing advertising text from the mural’s sign element. The approval was made subject to staff working with the property owner to identify which mural elements will be repainted to achieve a majority of on-palette color and to ensure the mural does not fall into disrepair. The motion to approve was made by Commissioner Jennifer McCullough and seconded by Commissioner Paul Zimmerman; the vote was recorded as five ayes and the motion carried. The mural had been installed already and returned to the commission for formal approval after the town updated its public-art policy and the Art Review Board provided a new recommendation. Town staff told commissioners that the policy requires “the majority of the area” of a mural to contain the town palette colors but allows limited off-palette highlights for artistic contrast. Commissioners discussed, but did not set, a fixed percentage; several said the code’s majority language should generally be interpreted as greater than 50 percent, while leaving some flexibility for artistic highlights. Rick Bridal, identifying himself as one of two owners of Design and Venture Company, told the commission the mural was created with artistic intent and said his team would comply if they were asked to repaint portions of the work. “We like the mural. We like to keep it,” Bridal said, and asked for “a reasonable time” to make any required adjustments. Commission discussion focused on two technical points from the Art Review Board recommendation: (1) bringing the mural’s dominant colors into the town’s palette while allowing limited highlight colors and (2) removing or altering text that resembles advertising. Commissioners also noted the town code allows off-palette “highlight” colors when they are compatible with the setting and do not detract from important vistas. The approved conditions recorded in the motion were: (a) the majority of mural colors must comply with the town’s color palette, recognizing the code’s allowance for limited highlight colors; (b) town staff will work with the property owner to identify which on- and off-palette elements will be repainted or retained so that the on-palette area is the majority; (c) the mural’s sign wording may not reference commercial advertising and the signpost text “Zion Adventures and Red Coyote Cyclery” must be changed; and (d) the mural must be maintained under the town’s property-maintenance code, specifically section 10-20-13, which allows removal if a mural falls into disrepair. Commissioners discussed timeframes for repainting; the property owner said the on-site artist can make changes “in a couple weeks,” and commissioners referenced a reasonable window of “30 to 60 days” during deliberations, but the final approval did not set a precise deadline. The commission and staff also discussed enforcement and interpretation: staff said they can enforce the policy’s subjective criteria but warned that staff determinations are inherently subjective and may not match every commissioner’s view. The Art Review Board’s July recommendation — that signage elements not amount to advertising and that palette compliance be achieved primarily through dominant areas — formed the basis for the conditions. The Art Review Board and the town council previously reviewed and adopted the updated public-art policy; commissioners cited that process in explaining the constraints of adding new requirements beyond the policy. The owner accepted the commission’s responsibility and said he expected to comply. The commission’s approval was final at the meeting.