PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia is famous for its mural arts program. But some groups said that some specific murals need to be scrubbed out.

Philly's "Mural Arts Program" has painted 2,700 murals; one in Northern Liberties is almost finished.

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"It's really about life and energy and color," Paul Santoleri, of the Mural Arts Program, said.

But while most of the murals are about life, energy and color, some murals in Fishtown are all about malt liquor, Colt 45.

"No, I think it's bad for the kids to see 'cause it's a beer thing, it's for beer," Mary Tracy, of the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight or SCRUB, said.

Pabst Beer paid local businesses for some of their wall space. But the city said the quasi-murals are illegal because a permit is needed.

"Bottom line, respect our laws, respect our neighborhoods," Tracy said.

Tracy runs SCRUB and her mission has always been to rid the city of illegal billboards. She said Pabst officials should be ashamed of themselves.

"The fourth biggest brewer in the U.S., a $59 million industry coming into our city and breaking our laws. I find that unconscionable and disrespectful," Tracy said.

NBC 10 called Pabst and they are not commenting on the issue. The city is still trying to see if any local advertising agencies helped them out.

The city is warning business owners that they need permission before they allow Colt 45 to put up billboards like these in the first place.

The city has sent a letter to Pabst, and they are now issuing citations to businesses with the billboards, saying they must paint over them.

A Fishtown bike shop wouldn't talk about their Colt 45 billboard.

But the owner of the Penn Treaty Market did. Vijay Kaola said he got $1,000 to have a Colt 45 billboard on his wall but he said it's now time for a change.

"I will redo it by Monday or Tuesday. I will pay some money and paint it to make it right," Kaola said.