Council adopts law regulating murals
“Helping artists attain their vision at a lower cost to them while having accountability, takes the burden off the taxpayers.” Sheila Dugan, PDIDA
POTTSTOWN » Despite the continued dissent of Councilman Dennis Arms, borough council moved forward July 5 with the adoption of a new law governing large outdoor murals to the praise of some artists and the opposition of others. On the same night, council also approved a request from Central Cultural Latinos Unidos to erect a 40-foot-by-10-foot mural on the long brick wall on the former borough garage facing Beech Street, across from the Ricketts Community Center.
Sheila Dugan, executive director of the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District, was among those who voiced support for the new ordinance.
“Helping artists attain their vision at a lower cost to them while having accountability, takes the burden off the taxpayers,” Dugan wrote in her monthly report to council.
“It is important for the account-
ability to remain in place as PDIDA has already seen the damage that can be done by a disrespectful person,” she wrote.
“It is why our solicitor, created a waiver holding only PDIDA responsible for the placement, removal and care of any art done throughout the downtown,” according to the report.
“We wanted as many buildings to be art scenes as possible, and we took on the liability so our building owners would not bare the burden if any maintenance was necessary.”
But that is exactly the argument against the maintenance requirements in the new ordinance, Marie Haigh, president of Pottstown Community Arts, wrote in a letter to The Mercury which has not yet been published.
“Legally holding a property owner liable for the maintenance of the mural is a disincentive. It is a deal breaker,” Haigh wrote.
“Already, we have seen this first hand. Property owners that were delighted and excited to have a mural painted on their wall or structure have slowly backed away.”
Haigh wrote that “council and administration is concerned about how the murals will look in 20 years when a mural begins to reach the end of its lifetime.
“Yet, the structures that Pottstown Community Arts is proposing to improve look depreciated today and will continue to be an eyesore if nobody does anything.”
She wrote that neither Philadelphia, Baltimore nor Phoenixville require a maintenance agreement for their murals.
“The majority of the borough council members and administration would rather have vacant buildings remain forgotten, continue deteriorating, and continue blighting our town than let Pottstown Community Arts beautify the town through public art and hard work,” wrote Haigh.
Pottstown Community Arts had hoped to paint a decorative “Welcome to Pottstown” mural on cement dividers that sit in the empty lot at the southeast corner of King and Manatawny streets.
However, the borough’s insistence that the property owner assume legal responsibility to maintain the mural in the future diminished the owner’s interest in participating.
Arms confirmed July 10 that the CCLU mural will be subject to the same maintenance requirements in that as the property owner, the borough will negotiate an agreement by which CCLU will assume responsibility for the mural’s maintenance.
That mural will be mounted on sign-board, the organizers said, and so can be removed should the borough decide to tear the building down.
Sheryl Miller, vice president of borough council, said the ordinance was supported not only by PDIDA, but also by ArtFusion 19464.
“The only thing the mural ordinances is asking for is responsibility and accountability,” she said.
Councilman Joe Kirkland said as an artist himself,
“I would not want to do anything to hinder artists. This is just an issue of responsibility and maintenance.”