Municipal council unanimously approved guidelines for a new wayfinding system to help people find their way around town, Oct. 18.
The new guidelines will be used to develop signs to help identify public locations, like parking lots and the hospital. Despite being approved, funding for the project hinges on whether council approves funding for it during budget deliberations in November.
鈥淭he objective is to improve communication with residents and visitors,鈥� said Bruce Thompson, the town鈥檚 director of operations.
According to the guidelines, the new signs will include internationally recognized pictograms and will only be used to identify destinations of 鈥減ublic priority,鈥� such as the town centre and public washrooms.
The guidelines also include criteria about which destinations will be included and how the signs will look, including colour, layout and size.
The document also specifically states that the signs are intended to be generic, long-lasting and not related to any particular marketing brand or business so they don鈥檛 have to be replaced if a marketing brand changes.
It was the third time the guidelines came before council for review.聽
According to Thompson, the municipality currently has $270,000 earmarked to initiate the first phase of the project. If council releases the funding, the project would be implemented as a pilot project in the central business district in 2017.
Several councillors have also expressed a desire to include new gateway signs at each entrance of town during phase one of the project, however, including two gateway signs will significantly increase the budget for phase one of the project.
According to the guidelines, there are two options for the new gateway entrances. The first option includes a non-illuminated single-sided aluminum sign mounted on a concrete base clad with local river rock. It would cost nearly $82,000 for two signs, according to an estimate by EDG Experience Design Group, which produced the guidelines.
The second option includes a non-illuminated metal sign mounted to timber posts with metal footings. The sign could be single or doubled-sided. It would cost $11,400 for two signs, according to one estimate.
According to EDG Experience Design Group, the first phase is estimated to cost just over $125,000, not including the entrance signs. The total wayfinding system is estimated to cost nearly $344,000 and will take several years to implement.
鈥淲hat I鈥檇 like to do is look at both the pilot phase in the central business district in combination with the entrance signs, see if we can get them both done with the amount of money we have,鈥� said Thompson, acknowledging it will depend on the marketplace.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
