An appeal by the city of Mineola to allow artwork painted along W. Patten St. by high school senior classes each spring has been denied.

In a letter received by the city last week from George Villarreal, director of the Traffic Safety Division of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the city has until April 30 to submit a plan to have the class murals removed.

“TxDOT values its partnership with the city and remains committed to working collaboratively to ensure safe and uniform traffic control across Texas,” Villareal wrote. However, he also said that failure to comply with the directive could result in withholding or denial of state or federal funds.

The issue first came to light last fall, when steps were taken to remedy non-standard crosswalk markings, such as rainbow stripes, across the state. The Senior Hill murals are not in or near crosswalks.

It soon expanded to any non-standard pavement markings. 

In February, the city council agreed to apply chip and seal to the street, even though it does not need such a treatment yet, for an estimated $50,000. It was the middle of three options as far as cost, with the least expensive – a coating at $14,400 – also the least durable.

One concern expressed by city officials was what would happen should more artwork appear on the street clandestinely.