A beige blank wall on the side of Old Town Goleta business Carpeteria Carpet One is set to be transformed with a large mural themed around the city.

On Tuesday, the Goleta Design Review Board was supportive and gave input on the mural’s proposed design elements by reviewing the conceptual design.

The mural for the store at 5610 Hollister Ave. was designed with the concept of it being the “entry to Old Town,” and would feature Goleta elements like monarch butterflies, ocean wildlife, lemons and avocados split up across three large panels on the wall. 

Funding for the mural was awarded through the city’s Old Town Pride of Place grant program. The program is meant to support projects that aim to enhance Old Town Goleta.  

“We feel like the impact on the community would be huge. With all the construction and disruption that local residents are facing, this would help to beautify the area in a profound way,” Avo Semerjian, the store’s owner, wrote in the grant application. 

The store’s location is near the two new roundabouts on Hollister Avenue and is in the project zone for the now completed restriping in Old Town.

The design showcased on Tuesday was mostly conceptual with proposed elements photoshopped onto a photo of the brick wall to guide placement and will be further developed, according to Jessica Altstatt, the artist chosen to paint the mural.

“I actually pass the building on Kellogg (Avenue) every single day, and I have been dreaming of painting a mural on this building for a long time,” she said.  

To better inform board members of her art style, Altstatt brought in other drawings and art pieces she’s done, which the board appreciated. 

“I am really glad that you brought in these samples of how you really do your art because when I saw (the proposed design) in the (staff report) packet, I thought a 14-year-old just threw a bunch of stuff in Photoshop on here,” board member Scott Branch said.

Board member Dennis Whelan suggested adding paintings of the Santa Ynez Mountains somewhere in the mural.

Altstatt said she plans to have the mountains represented on the right panel with the avocados and lemons.

Additionally, the top of the mural is proposed to look like the sky while the bottom is proposed to be filled with paintings of flowers, including native and threatened species like the Gaviota tarplant, according to the staff report. 

The concept of including words on the mural like “Goleta” or “Welcome to Goleta,” onto the artwork has been pioneered by Semerjian. 

“Our property is strategically located at a major intersection of Old Town Goleta, and the building’s positioning presents an opportunity to use the large corner presence to welcome Old Town Goleta and park visitors,” he wrote in the grant application. 

Altstatt said she liked the idea of just having the word “Goleta” on the building in an old packing label type font.

However, some board members liked the design without any words.

“I think that (mural) explains it, and it’s beautiful,” Branch said. “But if you do put it in, having seen your work, I trust you will integrate that in a very tasteful way.”

Board member Jonathan Eymann said he would like to have the word “Goleta” on the mural. 

“We are fighting hard to not just be the people that couldn’t get into Santa Barbara,” he said. “We are in Goleta, and we are proud of it.”  

Shannon Kirn, assistant to Goleta’s city manager, also explained that because the grant funding was awarded based on the idea that the mural would be the entrance to Old Town Goleta, the grant funding should be going towards that.

“It will be a beautiful addition with or without the lettering,” board member Martha Degasis said.

Altstatt also said she and Semerjian have discussed ways to deter vandalism, including the use of anti-graffiti coating and placing the design about 6 feet above the sidewalk.

While Goleta does have a Public Art Review Board, the proposed mural went before the city’s Design Review Board for feedback because the project was approved prior to the Art Review Board’s formation.

Under the grant agreement, the 22 selected businesses to receive the grant have until the end of June to spend their funds for what they applied for and to sign the grant agreement, according to Kirn.