Glendale planning commission recommends new mural ordinance and adopts 25% renewal fee for unchanged extensions

The Glendale Planning Commission voted July 15 to recommend that the City Council adopt a proposed mural ordinance that would add Chapter 30.38 to the Glendale Municipal Code and centralize rules for mural permits, maintenance agreements, appeals and removal.

Jennifer Fukutomi Jones, assistant director of libraries and culture, told commissioners the ordinance is intended to "encourage original murals on public and private buildings in the city" while remaining content neutral and setting clear procedures for installation, maintenance and removal. She said the Arts and Culture Commission unanimously recommended the Planning Commission forward the proposal after city staff completed legal and policy review following the passage of SB 456, "which exempts muralists from California state contractor's license requirements."

The proposed chapter would require a mural permit and, for private-property murals, recordation of a mural maintenance agreement before installation. Applicants must submit an artist waiver and agreement, a site plan and renderings, a tiered permit fee based on the property-owner organization's size (with a nonprofit rate), and certified public notice mailings to owners and occupants within a 500-foot radius.

Senior Assistant City Attorney Sylvia Quach clarified design limits during questions from commissioners, saying the ordinance text restricts protruding elements: "no part of a mural shall extend more than six inches from the vertical plane of the surface," and murals placed on horizontal planes must be flush with that surface. Staff also explained that the Arts and Culture Commission would be the review authority for mural permits, and that appeals to City Council would be considered de novo and could include modified designs.

Commissioners pressed staff on timing and maintenance. Staff said a mural permit would terminate after six months if installation has not started, but applicants may request a one-time extension for an additional six months; the five-year permit term for an installed mural provides a chance to reassess condition and compliance with the maintenance agreement. Staff estimated that, when complete, a straightforward permit could be issued quickly but noted limited staffing could affect some timelines.

On fees, staff said the permit schedule is tiered by organization size and includes a nonprofit rate. One commissioner proposed that when an owner seeks only to maintain or repaint an existing mural without submitting a new design, the extension fee should be discounted to 25% of the original permit fee. That proposal was added as an amendment to the Planning Commission's recommendation: the motion asked City Council to adopt the ordinance and to include an extension-renewal fee set at 25% of the original fee in cases where no new design is submitted.

The commission voted by roll call to recommend the ordinance, with Commissioners Trakjan, Manasian and Nazarian and Chair Fuentes voting yes; Commissioner Malekian was absent. The commission also asked staff to incorporate objective design standards amendments consistent with work done earlier in the year.

The Planning Commission's recommendation will go to City Council tentatively in August 2026; if adopted by Council, staff said the ordinance could take effect in September or October 2026.

What remains to be decided at the council level are the final fee amounts (the commission recommended a 25% renewal fee for unchanged designs but did not set dollar amounts) and whether the Council will adopt any adjustments to the 500-foot public-notice radius or other procedural details. The commission's action was a recommendation to Council; final adoption and any statutory effective dates depend on the Council's subsequent decision.