Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Art topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Urban Design Commission approves multi-building mural program in Capitol Hill
Summary
The Urban Design Commission on April 23 approved a certificate of approval for multiple murals on several commercial buildings in the Capitol Hill urban design district after staff described the proposal and the applicant, the Sunny Days festival, answered questions about placemaking and artist selection.
The Urban Design Commission voted April 23 to approve a certificate of approval for a multi-building mural project in the Capitol Hill urban design district.
Staff described the application (UDCADash2500005) as a proposal for murals on multiple buildings along Southwest 20th Street between Robinson and Harvey. A planning staff member said the submission identifies proposed mural locations but does not include finalized artwork, and recommended approval based on the proposal’s compliance with the urban design overlay district zoning ordinance.
The commission’s approval covers locations where the murals would be placed; city staff said the commission does not regulate mural content because of First Amendment constraints and recent changes to the city’s sign code. A commissioner who spoke in favor of the project described murals as a placemaking tool that can reinforce neighborhood identity and support the area’s development momentum. Paige Powell, identified as chair of the festival organizing the project, said the festival has placed murals in multiple cities and that the installations can make alleys feel safer after organizers added lighting in other locations.
The application materials describe murals on facades that are “mostly visible from the alley,” similar to prior Plaza District projects, and the staff report recommended the commission find the proposed locations acceptable within the design district. The applicant noted the festival’s past work in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Tulsa and Ponca City and said this would be the festival’s fifth year; she also identified an artist on the project roster by name.
The commission approved the application after a motion and second; the chair announced the motion had passed. The meeting included one case for individual consideration (the mural application) and no items on the consent docket; commissioners also approved minutes from the Feb. 26, 2025 meeting.
Votes at a glance - Motion to approve minutes from Feb. 26, 2025 — motion made and seconded; roll call recorded as: Apatone — yes; Flat — yes; Count — yes; Holmes — yes; Miller — yes; PIXNOSO — yes. Outcome: approved. - Certificate of approval for mural application UDCADash2500005 (locations along Southwest 20th Street, Capitol Hill) — motion to approve the application on the basis that it meets the urban design overlay district zoning ordinance (sections C and D); seconded; chair announced the motion passed. Detailed roll-call tally for this motion was not specified in the transcript.
Background and process notes City planning staff told the commission that, under the city’s regulatory framework, the commission reviews whether proposed mural locations are acceptable in the design district; content and design are not regulated by the commission because of First Amendment protections and changes to the city’s sign code adopted “last March,” according to staff. The staff report described the project as comparable to earlier Plaza District mural projects and noted many of the proposed murals are visible primarily from alleys rather than the street.
The commission had no continuance requests and no withdrawn cases for the meeting. The next Urban Design Commission meeting was announced for May 28, 2025.
