Why more murals could come to Mundelein
Proposed changes to Mundelein’s zoning rules could lead to more public murals being painted in town.
Trustees on Monday agreed to direct village staffers to prepare amendments to local zoning codes that will expand where murals can be painted. Additionally, proposals for smaller murals no longer face the same bureaucratic hurdles as larger ones.
The amendments could come back to the board for approval as soon as Oct. 13.
Mundelein has embraced public art for decades. Village-backed projects have included painted cows, stars and utility boxes.
But it’s three public murals that have had people gawking lately.
“Murals contribute to community identity, vibrancy and walkability,” Mundelein Senior Planner Collen Malec and Community Development Director Amanda Orenchuk said in a memo.
The first mural was unveiled in 2018 on the east side of what is now AREA Coffee, 18 E. Park St. The 66-foot-long piece by artist Pepe Gaka features the town's name, and each letter includes images depicting a landmark or characteristic of Mundelein.
Inspired by that artistic attraction and the al fresco dining scene on Park Street that developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, village officials subsequently turned a vacant lot in front of the mural into a public gathering space.
Next came a 28-foot-long, 6-foot-tall village-themed mural at the Lions Park skate ramp, 601 Noel Drive. Artist Amanda E. Gross, a former Mundelein resident, painted that one in 2023.
Later that year, a team of artists transformed the side of a two-story building across the parking lot from the Luke's of Mundelein restaurant at 551 N. Lake St. into a 1940s-era street scene. The piece was envisioned by restaurateur Mike Majestic.
Under Mundelein’s zoning rules, murals are limited to the downtown area unless the village board grants an exception — as was the case for the skate park piece. The proposal being drafted would allow murals anywhere in town except for residential neighborhoods.
“Commercial, industrial and open space areas attract public activity and can benefit from public art,” Malec and Orenchuk said in their memo.
To further encourage mural painting, officials want to eliminate the need for property owners to first get special use permits from the village board for all murals. The plan being drafted would require such permits only for pieces exceeding 100 square feet.
Smaller murals would instead require building permits that could be approved by employees.
Other rule changes are planned, too. For example, murals wouldn’t be allowed to contain commercial content. They also wouldn’t be allowed to have words or images that aren’t protected by the First Amendment, such as obscenities, threats or incitements to violence.
The changes were initiated by the Mundelein Arts Commission, which has overseen public art projects and exhibitions in town.
Mundelein Trustee Erich Schwenk spoke in favor of the proposed changes Monday.
“I’m so glad to see this,” Schwenk said. “To start seeing more murals in more places is great.”
Trustee Daniel Juarez supported the plan, too, saying murals have become part of Mundelein’s identity.