Agenda Item Wording:
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Mural Request - Consideration of a mural application request from Tulare County Farm Bureau for one mural located on the south-facing wall of the building located at 737 North Ben Maddox Way.
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Deadline for Action: 5/5/2025
Submitting Department: Community Development
Contact Name and Phone Number:
Colleen A. Moreno, Assistant Planner, 713-4031, colleen.moreno@visalia.city;
Paul Bernal, Planning and Community Preservation Director,713-4025, paul.bernal@visalia.city
Department Recommendation:
Staff recommends, based on the recommendation of the Mural Panel, that the mural application for the proposed mural located at 737 North Ben Maddox Way be approved as shown in Attachment #2.
Background Discussion:
The City of Visalia received a mural application on March 27, 2025, from the Tulare County Farm Bureau for a mural to be painted on the south-facing wall of the existing Tulare County Farm Bureau building (Attachment #3) located at 737 North Ben Maddox Way. This will be the second mural for this building with the first mural being located along the east wall of the Farm Bureau building (Attachment #4). The original mural was approved by City Council on December 19, 2016.
This request is for a second mural that will serve as a backdrop to the dedication ceremony for a new flagpole that will be located onsite. The mural is intended to celebrate the farm community depicting generational knowledge and familial ties that bind farms together. Per the Farm Bureau, the mural is meant to be a patriotic and nostalgic look at farm life in Tulare County. The mural (Attachment #2) depicts a hillside backdrop reflecting eastern Tulare County, large branches and greenery of oak trees, a rustic barn with a large American Flag and a multi-generational family working on an old tractor while off in the distance is a citrus grove with a modern-day topping machine moving down a citrus row. There is also a sign on the barn with the words, “Farm Bureau Member,” this sign is a replica of the signs used by the Farm Bureau to identify members. The mural will be relatively small, approximately 15-feet by 5-feet and will be erected on the south-facing wall of the Farm Bureau building (Attachment #3). Work is expected to begin in May, subsequent to obtaining approvals and will be installed on the building by the end of July 2025.
Tulare County Farm Bureau is the owner of the building, as well as the applicant for the mural and is in support of this project. The artist is Colleen Mitchell-Veyna, who has painted in the vicinity of 100 murals including the first mural located on the site as well as several murals in Exeter and the murals for ProYouth Heart and the Rotary Theater. The mural will be painted in studio on Pellon material and then will be installed on site. The paint utilized for the mural will be Nova Paint and the mural will be affixed onto the wall with a strong adhesive glue called Nova Glue. A mural shield will also be used for UV protection and a specialized wax will be applied for graffiti protection.
Mural Panel Review: In accordance with the City’s Mural Guidelines and Procedures (Attachment #7), the Mural Panel convened on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, consisting of a representative from the Arts Consortium (Ampelio Mejia Perez), Arts Visalia (Alison Miniaci), and the mayoral appointment (Walter Deissler) to review the application and meet with the applicant of the mural request, Tricia Stever Blattler, Executive Director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau. The purpose of the Mural Panel is to assure compliance with local ordinances, the general guidelines, and to determine whether the artist can produce a quality piece of art.
The Mural Panel was provided with the application materials and the rendering of the proposed mural. The applicant shared the deep meaning and discussed how every detail of the mural was intentionally thought out, which contributes to a very symbolic image. The Mural Panel was favorable to the artwork and had no concerns with the artists’ ability to prepare a quality mural. The Panel praised the design, rich history, and thoughtfulness of the mural. The only concern that the Panel had were the words on the barn sign, as mentioned previously, the barn will have a sign with the words, “Farm Bureau Member”; however, per the Mural Guidelines, “not more than 1% of the mural will contain the name of a sponsor and/or sponsor product likeness”. Due to the small size of the sign, which is less than 1% of the mural, the verbiage is in compliance with the Mural General Guidelines. The Panel concluded that the image with the sign was aesthetically pleasing and was representative of the Farm Bureau and conformed with the mural guidelines.
Mural Agreement: The City’s Mural Guidelines requires that the property owner and applicant, which in this case are the same, enter into an agreement that identifies the terms and conditions under which the mural will be applied. A draft of the mural agreement is attached to this report (Attachment #6).
Fiscal Impact:
None. The applicant and artists are responsible for the installation, maintenance, and removal of the mural.
Prior Council Action: The Council previously approved a mural installed on the east wall of the same building on December 19, 2016.
Alternatives: None.
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to approve the application for a mural located on the south-facing wall of a building located at 737 North Ben Maddox Way.
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Environmental Assessment Status: The mural is considered Categorically Exempt under Section 15311 of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as amended, due to the project being a placement of minor structure accessory to existing facilities including but not limited to signs.
CEQA Review: The mural is considered Categorically Exempt under Section 15311 of the Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as amended, due to the project being a placement of minor structure accessory to existing facilities including but not limited to signs.
Attachments:
Attachment #1: Application
Attachment #2: Mural Rendering
Attachment #3: Elevation of building prior to mural
Attachment #4: Existing mural previously approved by Council in 2016 on site
Attachment #5: Location Map
Attachment #6: Draft Mural Agreement
Attachment #7: Mural Guidelines