A commercial property owner in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, received a citation from the city government because of a large message painted on the roof of his building that reads “TRUMP 2024.” The government officials contend the message is a “mural” that requires a city-issued permit; however, the property owner and his tenants argue that the city’s mural ordinance doesn’t apply to building rooftops.
According to one of the business owners located on the commercial property, the city cited the building’s owner after a complaint was left taped to his door from the condo building next door. “They want us to remove it or file for a permit,” Michael Klein — who owns Kavasutra Kava Bar, a business located in the building, said. He added: “But it’s not a permittable sign because it’s on the roof.” Klein also revealed the small businesses and property owner have retained an attorney and that they intend to fight the city citation.
Lake Worth Beach has a plethora of city ordinances governing signage, pamphleteering, murals, and even simply taping a message to a door. The National Pulse reviewed these ordinances and can confirm that those pertaining to signs almost exclusively apply to messages attached to the sides of buildings. The city’s mural regulations are more vague. While there are specific references to painting the sides of structures, the language appears to be relatively ambiguous — suggesting the city may be able to regulate the “TRUMP 2024” roof message as a mural.
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