ARB narrows mural rules for Barnes Lumber: murals allowed on non-entrance-corridor facades without ARB review

The Albemarle County Architectural Review Board on Aug. 18 approved amended mural language for the Barnes Lumber countywide certificate of appropriateness, limiting murals to facades not facing the entrance corridor and exempting those murals from ARB review.

Margaret, a county planner presenting the work session, framed the issue: the applicant proposed allowing murals on facades visible from the entrance corridor and asked whether murals occupying 20% or more of a facade should require ARB review. Margaret noted the remaining outstanding issue in the countywide criteria concerned murals.

Kirk Kiesecker of BRW Architects, representing the applicant, told the board the longest block length in the diagram was “about 400 feet,” and that a 20% threshold on a very large elevation could result in a mural area of roughly 6,000 square feet. He also noted that the maximum building height could be four stories under the current framework, with the potential to go higher under additional approvals.

Board members expressed reluctance to review mural content and questioned whether the ARB has the appropriate purview and criteria to judge artwork. Several members urged caution about adopting a numeric threshold (20%) that could allow very large murals on long facades and noted the practical difficulty of defining a mural versus painted architectural treatment. Board member Dave recommended that, if the ARB were to review murals in the future, staff develop criteria that would limit review to architectural impacts rather than content.

After extended discussion the board adopted an amendment that removed the 20% trigger language for entrance-corridor-facing facades and instead limited the exemption to murals “not facing an entrance corridor” (that is, side or rear facades). Under the amended criteria, murals on facades that do not face the entrance corridor would be permitted without ARB review; murals on entrance-corridor-facing facades would remain subject to ARB scrutiny as part of the normal architectural review process.

The motion to approve the Barnes Lumber countywide criteria as amended passed on a roll call vote. The recorded votes included: Mister Vanderwerff — yes; Mister Mitsuno — yes; Mister Stoner — abstain; Mister Hancock — yes; Mister Henningsen — yes.

The board asked staff to return with more detailed guidance if staff and the board determine a formal mural-review process is necessary in the future. Margaret said existing entrance-corridor and ARB provisions already limit blank walls and require articulation, and staff will ensure those requirements remain in review of any mural proposals going forward.