Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Signage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears overview of murals and sign rules; murals generally exempt unless they include advertising
Summary
City staff told the Hutchinson City Council that murals are typically exempt from the city’s sign code unless they contain advertising; wall signs remain regulated and may be limited to 20% of a building face in commercial/industrial districts. Staff recommended a public primer and possible code review.
The Hutchinson City Council held a discussion April 15 on murals and signage rules after receiving a request to treat a mural as signage. City staff and outside sign professionals described how the current code treats murals, wall signs and billboards and urged the council to consider a public primer to help property owners and artists comply.
Why it matters: Murals can be artistic enhancements to the public realm and may attract visitors, but when murals include commercial advertising the city’s sign regulations apply. Balancing public art, historical painted signs and regulated advertising affects downtown appearance, economic activity and code enforcement.
Key points from the discussion
- Legal baseline: Matt Williams, director of community development, said Hutchinson’s sign regulations are in Chapter 27 of the city code; the rules were updated in 2018. Staff stated murals are exempt from the sign code so long as they do not contain an advertising message. When a mural includes business identification or an advertising message, the city will measure the advertisement area (an imaginary rectangle surrounding the ad copy) against the 20% maximum allowed on a wall face in commercial and industrial zones.
- Examples and enforcement: Williams and staff showed examples where a mural without copy is treated purely as art, whereas a mural with a business name or product could be treated as a wall sign or, if advertising a different off-site location, a billboard subject to separate regulations. Dilapidated or abandoned signs remain a zoning/code-enforcement issue; abandoned sign frames have 180 days to remove advertising, staff said.
- Industry view and interpretation: Tom Sellers of Lumineo Signs (formerly Luminous Neon) told the council the city’s sign code is generally contemporary and workable; he recommended periodic review and offered to work with staff to tighten any ambiguous language. Sellers said Hutchinson’s code appears comparable to other similar communities but suggested cities should review sign code language every five to eight years.
- Grants and façade program: Staff noted a Kansas grant opportunity exists for mural-related projects; council asked whether the city’s recently approved facade improvement program would cover murals. Staff said the façade program was written to allow money for signage or paint but did not explicitly list murals, creating a gray area.
- Public and artist input: Artist Anthony Marquez addressed the council and said murals can be both art and advertisement and can bring visitors and economic benefit; he urged the city to encourage artist–business collaboration.
Council direction and next steps
Councilmembers asked staff to provide a clear, user‑friendly primer on the city website explaining how murals vs. signage are treated, how the 20% wall calculation is made, permit requirements for signs, and contact points for applicants and artists. Several councilmembers asked for a large map and examples to be included if sign code changes or public presentations are scheduled.
Ending: No changes to the sign code were adopted at the meeting. Council asked staff to collect public input and consider code clarifications as needed.
