Salem, Massachusetts pausing new rule on window art that upset business owners

The city of Salem, Massachusetts, is putting a new policy about temporary window art on hold after some businesses spoke out against the changes.

Small business owners said the Salem Redevelopment Authority recently told them that the colorful artwork on their windows has to come down or they could face fines. They argue that the new regulations are unnecessary and limit creativity in "The Witch City."

The SRA, which was created in the 1960s to target and remove blight, updated its code last year to say that temporary window art must be removed or replaced every three months, and cannot include logos or branding. The art also can't cover more than 20% of a window.

But Mayor Dominick Pangallo's office told WBZ-TV on Wednesday that nothing is changing yet.

"The SRA has indicated that they are pausing the implementation of the window art guidance so that future dialogue can take place," Chief of Staff Lisa Peterson said in a statement. "The date for that meeting is still being determined."

Eric Crescimano, who owns the Gulu-Gulu Cafe with his wife, told WBZ-TV this weekend that the colorful painting of their two beagles on the restaurant's side window was under threat because of the new policy. Now they're excited to work with the community to make sure the art can stay.

"Hopefully, together we can come up with something that works for the City, local businesses, and, most importantly, the artists who make Salem look and feel like Salem," the cafe posted to Facebook.