(KTLA-TV)
LOS ANGELES -- Under an ordinance just approved by the City Council, all new buildings in Los Angeles including homes must have anti-graffiti coating, unless the owners sign a contract vowing to remove any graffiti on their property soon after it appears.
The clear coating would be applied over existing paint on outside walls and doors to a height of at least nine feet.
If taggers strike buildings with the protective coating, the paint would be easier to wipe off.
But, the anti-graffiti coating is not cheap.
Online searches showed a price range of about $60 to $632 per gallon, depending on the quality of the product.
Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the measure Tuesday.
Under the current language of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, single-family dwellings are not required to have an impermeable surface such as ceramic tile or baked enamel.
Exceptions to the ordinance may be granted if the property owners sign a contract, promising to remove any graffiti on their property within a week or within 72 hours of being notified by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.
Then-Councilwoman -- now City Controller -- Wendy Greuel asked for the exception when she introduced the ordinance, noting that anti-graffiti coating "often discolors the surface of buildings and is not always environmentally friendly."
The ordinance will take effect 30 days after being signed by the mayor.
The clear coating would be applied over existing paint on outside walls and doors to a height of at least nine feet.
If taggers strike buildings with the protective coating, the paint would be easier to wipe off.
But, the anti-graffiti coating is not cheap.
Online searches showed a price range of about $60 to $632 per gallon, depending on the quality of the product.
Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved the measure Tuesday.
Under the current language of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, single-family dwellings are not required to have an impermeable surface such as ceramic tile or baked enamel.
Exceptions to the ordinance may be granted if the property owners sign a contract, promising to remove any graffiti on their property within a week or within 72 hours of being notified by the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety.
Then-Councilwoman -- now City Controller -- Wendy Greuel asked for the exception when she introduced the ordinance, noting that anti-graffiti coating "often discolors the surface of buildings and is not always environmentally friendly."
The ordinance will take effect 30 days after being signed by the mayor.
