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Planning commission approves temporary painted donor walls at Laguna Art Museum with conditions on timing and size
Summary
The commission approved a sign permit allowing two temporary painted donor walls on the Laguna Art Museum facades, subject to clarified conditions on display duration (three weeks after completion), allowance to expand sign height slightly if grid squares are 8x24 inches, and other operational limits; the action was approved unanimously.
The Laguna Beach Planning Commission on Jan. 15 approved a temporary sign permit for two painted donor walls on the Laguna Art Museum building at 307 Cliff Drive and North Coast Highway, authorizing painted donor-name grid panels on the facades for a short display period and requiring the building to be fully restored to its prior appearance after the display period.
Planning staff (Claire Park) described the proposal as two temporary painted wall signs — one 5 feet tall by 60 feet wide facing North Coast Highway and another 5 feet by 45 feet on Cliff Drive — divided into donor grid spaces (roughly 6 inches by 12 inches each in the applicant’s materials, with a possible maximum grid size up to 8 inches by 24 inches per contribution). Staff noted the art-organization sign regulation gives the Planning Commission discretion over size, design, location and duration.
Museum executive director Julie Perlinley and trustee Wendy Ayrd told the commission the plan is part of a fundraising campaign called "Every Single One" to raise funds to repaint and upgrade museum systems; the museum expects to complete painting of donor signatures in a concentrated 2–4 day period and display the painted donor walls for about 3 weeks after that completion before final painting of the building restores a uniform facade. The campaign timeline runs through the end of April; the commission clarified that the permit’s 3‑week display clock begins when the mural/sign is completed, not from the start of the fundraising campaign.
Commissioners discussed concerns about duration, legibility of small grid sizes (6x12 inches may be hard to read from moving cars) and flexibility to size grids based on donations. Commissioners agreed to let applicants have flexibility within outside bounds: the commission allowed an increase in sign height to 5 feet 4 inches if the applicant uses an 8x24-inch grid and modified the permit to clarify that the painted donor display must be completed in a short, finite painting period and remain on the wall up to four weeks after completion. Commissioners also removed a draft condition that would have permitted tents/canopies without explicit review.
After discussion the commission voted to approve the sign permit with the modified conditions by roll call: Goldman — yes; Whiting — yes; Dubin — yes; Kellenberg — yes; Sadler — yes. Staff will coordinate final condition language and permit issuance.
