PALM SPRINGS, PAINT THIS DESERT. WAIT, NOT SO FAST.

After the city’s Art Commission and PLANet Art project commissioned street artists to paint walls for a week and many were getting excited, including businesses. "It's going to bring people down to downtown Palm Springs, and not only are we going to benefit but all the shops and all of our neighbors around us are going to benefit also," said Willie Rhine, general manager of Lulu California Bistro, toKESQ. 

Then Palm Springs City Manager David Ready ended the project, stating that that property owners did not have proper permits for the murals, nor requested it. And, there is no policy to paint murals in town. 

Some street art style murals were completed before this project. “They are out of compliance,” Ready said to the Desert Sun.   

Evidently one tactic was dispatching police to sites inform artists painting murals is illegal, and according to CV Independent,threatening then with arrest. 

PLANet Art Palm Springs was formed by Debra Ann Mumm, and said her group did everything possible to get all the proper approvals.

But there is no official mural policy set in place.

There were some street art style murals completed before this project. “They are out of compliance,” Ready said to the Desert Sun.  City Council will vote on moving forward to create a mural policy on May 7, may require a mural project to be considered first by the Palm Springs Architectural Advisory Committee, who will decide if a proposed mural is a commercial sign. If it’s deemed public art, then will be heard by the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission.