Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: AUGUST 20, 2024
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: SUNAYANA THOMAS, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PREPARED BY: TAYLOR SAMUELSON, SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST SUBJECT: TRANSPORTATION CENTER AND DOWNTOWN BRANDING AND WAYFINDING UPDATE
SUMMARY
The City awarded a contract to Selbert Perkins Design, Inc. as part of the Transit Center Enhancement grant from Caltrans and Clean California to develop plans for a wayfinding and branding program. Staff presents the project results for feedback and expects signage installation by the end of 2024.
PROPOSED MOTION
Receive and file.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Approve the Proposed Motion
Other options brought by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
City Manager recommends the Proposed Motion.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Fiscal and Organization Stability.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item generates no General Fund impact. A Clean CA Transit Enhancement Grant provides funding. The grant budget can accommodate one singular limited-scale destination gantry sign, however, City Council may recommend support for alternate funding to facilitate a broader and robust signage and monument program. This would necessitate a budget review and appropriation from other sources to accommodate spanning entryways and larger monuments.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The City received funding to enhance and beautify areas in and around the Fullerton Transportation Center (FTC) through a competitive grant application process. The City used the grant to work with a consultant to establish a downtown brand and wayfinding program to assist mass transit users navigate the downtown area and improve visitation. The FTC is one of the higher ridership stations in the region serving over 400,000 riders annually. The project would capitalize on visitors using both Amtrak and Metrolink services.
The City issued an RFP for branding and wayfinding design services, including plans, specifications and estimates for the transit center and downtown area. Selbert Perkins Design, Inc. provided the most competitive submittal, showcasing their work in areas such as the City of Long Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles Union Station and the City of Santa Monica. The City worked with the consultant to complete a survey and develop brand criteria based on resident and community member feedback. Staff distributed postcards to approximately 800 households and businesses surrounding the downtown and transit center area. The City also posted the survey online, on social media channels and shared the information with local media outlets. Staff collected survey results for four weeks in June 2024.
The consultant developed final brand, color scheme and wayfinding concepts based on survey feedback, an assessment of the City cultural and historic resources and accessibility and compliance with Americans with Disabilities (ADA) and state accessibility laws. The proposed brand and signage program creates a unique, Fullerton-focused brand reflecting Fullerton heritage with Leo Fender and Spanish revival architecture. The themes include mosaic tiling features along with a modern. timeless font that honors Fullerton history.
The grant requires the City to complete pedestrian and vehicular before December 2024. Selbert Perkins Design selected materials that the City can quickly deploy with high-quality materials that meet grant requirements in coordination with Public Works. The final signage program will have kit-of-parts format allowing staff to quickly replace damaged, vandalized or otherwise broken signage.
The grant deliverable focuses on connecting the transit station to the broader community. The City would install signage where current outdated signage exists, as well as new signage on streetlights and fixtures needing wayfinding. Staff has identified wayfinding signs throughout the downtown area for replacement or removal as part of this project. The existing signage has usable electrical systems as these signs typically include have a light standard.
The sign program would improve parking accessibility using universal parking identifiers and support traffic and visitation to downtown areas beyond SOCO, including Wilshire Avenue, Amerige Avenue, Pomona Avenue, Chapman Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. Staff would provide connectivity to communities south of the railroad tracks as part of the grant, including improved wayfinding signage to the transit station and downtown for the Truslow neighborhood.
Design Concepts for Trademark / Brand Integration
1 Concept evokes Fullerton’s history, building off Leo Fender’s significant impact and creating a unique modern and culturally relevant font style. The typestyle is not trademarked and evokes familiarity with this local legend and the community’s important history. 2 Building from the city flower, the carnation, this concept identifies the City with its agriculture and botanical attributes. The theme has a clean yet subtle design. While the logo is unique, the public could mistake this concept with flower motifs used by other agencies. The logo would need color variations for strong identification. 3 This concept incorporates the Historic City Hall building which now houses the City Police Headquarters. The design invokes Fullerton history, architectural themes and the local charm that many identify with the community. Challenges with this design include portability on different signs and scaling into gantry options. 4 This modern and timeless theme uses a future-focused typestyle set at an angle to provide a sense of optimism and progress. To complement the modern type, the font uses a script “F” similar to the Fender brand honoring the legendary music heritage of Fullerton. Challenges with this design include incorporating the non-rectangular mark on different signs and integrating it into gantry designs.
Gantry and Wayfinding Concept Signage
The spanning gateway has a classic gantry design, announcing entry to Downtown Fullerton. The archway and the branded letters may have internal illumination. This concept would require additional appropriations based on scale and cost.
The 40-foot-tall gateway pylon targets approaches with less footing area. Like the spanning gateway, this has internal illumination and incorporates pedestrian wayfinding at the base.
The new Transit Center monument could have external illumination from the ground and at the top edge of the sign. The sign can incorporate the primary transportation services logos as well as the restaurant logo.
Vehicle wayfinding signs would incorporate the pattern motif, colors and typography of the updated brand. The sign graphics will be printed on retroreflective vinyl for high visibility and longevity and applied to rigid aluminum panels.
Pedestrian wayfinding monoliths use fabricated aluminum cabinets with an option for internal illumination. Signs may contain area location maps and include directional messages to major destinations.
A banner system has design to easily create colorful pageantry and a feeling of an energetic place. The City could place banner brackets may on existing light poles and feature wind and vandal resistant devices.
Overall, the Transit Center Enhancement grant provided a roadmap for the City to consider utilizing and expanding improved visitation and foot traffic. The short implementation timeline, which sunsets in December 2024, ensures the City meets deliverables to support transit riders and the downtown business community.
Staff discussed signage and branding concepts with other local and regional agencies including the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency, SCRRA (Metrolink) and OCTA. Staff conducted a site walk at the depot with partner agencies to improve cohesive branding and signage convergence to reduce rider confusion and improve depot usability.
Transportation Center Signage Enhancements
The proposed station identification and track signage would focus on pedestrians and riders for better navigation throughout the station. Proposed signage would clarify locations as well as the rail services offered at the Fullerton Transportation Center (FTC).
Proposed track numeric identifiers and Surfliner Business Class signage. Improved locations so riders understand where to go when their train arrives at the station, improving departure and arrival times for inbound trains.
Staff requests City Council direction on the branding and wayfinding portion of the project to assist with purchase, delivery and installation prior to December 2024, in line with the restrictive grant agreement with Caltrans.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – Selbert Perkins Design Presentation
cc: City Manager Eric J. Levitt
Transportation Center and Downtown Wayfinding
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