LONG BEACH : Store to Redo Design Plans to Preserve Mural

City planners and the owner of a trendy furniture store have reached an agreement that could save a mural painted on the interior of the city’s oldest non-residential building.

Z Gallerie, a Los Angeles-area chain, had sought permission from the city’s Planning Commission to remove the expansive mural of a setting sun before moving into the former Masonic Temple at 230 Pine Ave. Z Gallerie officials appealed to the planning commission after the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission ruled that the painting must be preserved.

The company wanted to demolish the mural wall, saying it would interrupt the open, warehouse look that officials planned. But after learning from an art history expert and preservationists that the mural is one of the oldest in Southern California and is critical to the historic fabric of the building, Z Gallerie agreed to rework its interior design plans.

Under the compromise, Z Gallerie will leave the unsigned painting in place, but will remove an ornamental staircase and a portion of the wall beneath the mural. The new plans must meet city fire and safety codes, said Eugene Zeller, the city’s interim planning director.

If the modifications are not up to code, Z Gallerie and the Cultural Heritage Commission will be required to raise enough money to move the mural to another wall in the building. Z Gallerie would put up $25,000 while the heritage commission and preservationists would raise the rest, which could run between $25,000 and $55,000.

If the commission cannot raise its share, the mural wall can be demolished and Z Gallerie can proceed with its original plans, said Planning Commissioner Douglas Otto.