City Council
259 N. Wilma Avenue
Ripon, CA 95366
MEMO
To: Honorable City Council
From: Ken Zuidervaart, Planning Director
Date: 02/14/2023
Subject: Wayfinding Sign Project
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff to present the proposed wayfinding signs throughout the City along with an electronic sign at City Hall.
BACKGROUND:
Staff has been working with a local vendor and the Chamber regarding a wayfinding sign master plan for the City of Ripon. The purpose of the wayfinding sign project is to direct out of town travelers to the Mistlin Sports Park and our Historic Downtown. Additionally, the wayfinding sign project in our downtown will direct the traveling public to the City’s additional parking areas surrounding our downtown.
DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS:
United Signs (the same company that constructed Ripon’s Historic Arches) has proposed a comprehensive wayfinding sign package for our community. The plan consists of signs located at key spots to direct traffic to the Mistlin Sports Park and our Historic Downtown area.
Outside of the downtown area, there are sixteen (16) proposed sign locations. Each location would include the installation of a decorative pole, similar to the City’s decorative light poles in our downtown, and a wayfinding sign. The proposed signs are 3 feet wide and anywhere from 1- 1/2 to 2-3/4 feet tall. Each sign will be constructed of an 1/8” aluminum painted panel and will include the City of Ripon logo along with pertinent wayfinding information.
Additionally, the plan for outside of our downtown area would include the installation of an electronic message center monument sign located in front of City Hall along Wilma Avenue.
The sign is proposed to replace the existing Police Department monument sign and will be double sided so that traffic traveling on Wilma Avenue will be able to see the sign from either direction. Although guidelines will have to be developed for sign content, the purpose of the electronic message center sign will be to share important community messages regarding upcoming events and pertinent information.
Within the downtown area, there are thirteen (13) proposed sign locations. About half of the locations would include the installation of decorative poles in order to mount the wayfinding signs, while the other half of the signs would be mounted to already existing decorative light poles. The downtown wayfinding signs would vary in width between 2 and 3 feet wide depending on whether they are located on their own stand-alone pole or mounted to an existing light pole. These will be the same as the other wayfinding signs outside of downtown and will vary between 1-1/2 to 2-3/4 feet tall depending on content. All signs within the downtown area will focus on public parking locations and other pertinent buildings (i.e. library, veterans park and museum, etc.).
FISCAL IMPACT:
The entire project would cost approximately $137,000, which is to be funded from the General Department Capital Fund.
Attachments:
1. City Wayfinding Sign Project