Frankfort Establishes New Mural Regulations for Downtown Historic District

Frankfort Village Board Meeting | May 4, 2026

Article Summary: The Village Board approved a comprehensive set of regulations to govern the installation, maintenance, and approval process for murals within the H-1 Historic District.

Mural Regulations Key Points:

• The Board amended Chapter 151 of the Municipal Code to create specific guidelines for murals, separating them from standard sign regulations.

• Murals will require review by the Historic Preservation Commission and final approval by the Village Board.

• Regulations mandate the use of weather-resistant materials and prohibit murals on designated Local Historic Landmarks.

• Property owners must sign a maintenance and removal agreement holding them responsible for ongoing upkeep.

The Frankfort Village Board on Monday, May 4, 2026, unanimously approved an amendment to Chapter 151 of the Municipal Code, establishing a clear and structured framework for the installation of murals within the Village’s H-1 Historic District.

The new regulations distinguish murals from standard commercial signage, defining a mural as a “hand-painted or digitally printed work of visual art that is applied directly to a wall or surface, visible to the public.”

“The amendment establishes a clear and structured framework for murals within the H-1 Historic District, including general design standards, application requirements, and evaluation criteria to ensure compatibility with the historic character of the area,” Trustee Jessica Petrow explained.

Under the new ordinance, mural proposals must be submitted to the Community Development Department and include a $200 application fee, a decommissioning plan, a maintenance schedule, color renderings, and material specifications. The artwork will then be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) for a Certificate of Appropriateness before heading to the Village Board for final approval via resolution.

The regulations mandate that murals cannot project more than six inches from the facade and must utilize durable, weather-resistant materials sealed with graffiti-resistant coatings. Furthermore, murals are strictly prohibited from being illuminated, incorporating commercial advertising, or being installed on designated Local Historic Landmarks.

To protect the Village from deteriorating artwork, a key component of the new regulations is a required legal maintenance agreement. The agreement assigns full responsibility to the property owner for the ongoing upkeep of the mural. If the mural becomes “significantly damaged, deteriorated, or defaced,” the Village retains the right to demand its removal or restoration at the owner’s expense.