SAUGUS — Planning Board member Joseph Vecchione has gained the support of the Cultural Council as he pushes for an amendment to be passed that will allow murals to be installed in the town.
Vecchione has been working on this amendment for a while, but said the catalyst that brought this amendment to the forefront was the Cap World project on Route 1, which depicted a mural of different Route 1 landmarks and was ordered to be covered up by the Zoning Board of Appeals a couple of weeks ago.
“I’ve been working on this article for a while, but that kind of catapulted it into something that is an immediate issue because it kind of highlighted the shortcomings in our zoning bylaw that all illustrations on buildings are considered signage, no matter what they depict,” Vecchione said. “It’s not only just to pursue public art, it’s to permit public art that’s previously been covered up.”
As of now, the town’s zoning laws say that murals and public art are considered signage and require the same laws as signs do, including being allowed only a certain number of colors, which is why Cap World was covered.
“A lot of people support that mural and what it depicts and what it adds to the environment,” Vecchione said. “Especially with the blight that’s on Route 1 and commercial decay in some cases, it’s certainly a nice addition that doesn’t affect public safety.”
The Cultural Council offered its support and assistance along the way, as they are working with Vecchione to get this amendment passed in the local legislature.
This amendment will be discussed at the Town Meeting in May and if passed, Vecchione said they can work towards making these art projects a reality.
“I’ve been doing some work towards some revitalization at Cliftondale and talking to some business owners about a potential mural project in Cliftondale,” Vecchione said. “There’s a lot of nostalgia in Cliftondale and a lot of history there that we’d like to tell the story through public art, but right now, without the amendment in place, that’s the biggest obstacle in the way so I’m hoping it passes at Town Meeting.”
If passed, the Massachusetts and Saugus Cultural Council can contribute to and provide grants for some public-art projects, so Vecchione has already spoken with them about potential opportunities down the road for telling the town’s stories through murals and other forms of public art.
Vecchione thinks this will be a good thing for Saugus, recognizing that public art should be allowed.
“Painting a wall can provide aesthetic improvements as well as a little bit of culture in Saugus,” Vecchione said. “And it’s something that can be subsidized by the state and locally and provide a minimal cost impact to the property owners.”
Vecchione said public art can help revitalize a neighborhood and add color to it.
“Saugus has so much history; there’s plenty of stories to tell,” Vecchione said. “But at the same time, you can’t prohibit the content of murals in legislature or in practice because that’s a First Amendment violation, which might turn some people off.”
If the amendment is passed in May, the town will begin developing ideas for the murals over the summer and get an artist on board by October.
