Though most more than likely wouldn’t think to stop and comment on a lack of informational signage around town, commissioners agree the lack of updated displays is a weak spot in the city.
It’s one they set to remedy last week during the Jan. 27 commission meeting when they discussed and approved two new sign displays across town.
One of the most used parks in Plant City, Brewer Park, will act as the launching point for the first new signage program the city hopes to unveil. While there is a new way finding signage program underway, that will be set up throughout downtown Plant City, this project will be used throughout the entirety of the community.
While still being collaborative and cohesive with the other upcoming signage as far as fonts and color palettes go, these new signs will hopefully begin to pop up at parks throughout the city, according to City Manager Bill McDaniel.
“Brewer is a heavily-used park and anybody that’s been out there knows we have all those ducks and pelicans coming, and there are a lot of people that would like to have more information available to them whenever they’re walking around the park,” McDaniel said. “We have an opportunity to improve the signage across town starting here at Brewer. I was talking to (Director of Parks and Recreation) Jack Holland and his parks crew and had them identify the birds and wildlife that one may see at the park. They’re going to have information on those animals as well as your standard park information, like the rules and hours of the park, all on display on a variety of signage throughout Brewer Park.”
If the Brewer Park signage is a success, it will become the standard for similar signage across town. Residents will start seeing the changes at Brewer Park soon. McDaniel said his team knew to begin work on the project as soon as possible and said it should take a few weeks to finish research for the content of the signs and to identify vendors. Then the procurement strategy would be underway and finally the signs would be produced.
McDaniel said he was optimistic and hoped they would be installed by the fall, but that the end of the current fiscal year was his ultimate goal.
The second program is currently only scheduled for the upcoming Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Complex, but is sure to set the stage for how the city advertises upcoming cultural landmarks.
There currently is a six-foot by 10-foot monument sign located at the southwest corner of South Park Road and East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, but the city feels it does not meet the needs of the community. Its small size and non-revolving messages were points of complaint among city staff, so commissioners unanimously agreed to add two monument signs with digital LED message boards for the area.
One will replace the above stated sign and the other will go on South Maryland Avenue to advertise the community center and will have the ability to revolve events and programming information for the public that passes through the area.
The South Park Road and East Dr. MLK Jr. Boulevard sign will by seven feet by 13 feet and will be double-sided. The South Maryland Avenue sign will be five feet by eight feet and double-sided as well. Both will be digital LED.
“Both LED signs would be capable of promoting messages concerning Parks & Recreation programming, messages related to city government meetings, and emergency announcements,” the agenda report read. “Both signs contain secure, cloud-based wireless data technology allowing staff to update the messages from any internet capable device. Electrical service is available at both locations.”
The city will obtain the signs from EBSCO Sign Group LLC (DBA Stewart Signs) through BuyBoard Cooperative Purchasing. It will cost the city $70,316.81, with the large sign running at $44,385.46 and the small sign costing $25,931.35.