TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file report on the Long Beach Signage Installation Plan. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On March 1, 2005, the City Council directed staff to update the City Council on a possible Long Beach Gateway Signage Installation Plan (Exhibit A). It was requested that this report include pictures of existing and proposed signage, planned locations, timelines for installation and budgetary concerns. This report includes background on the Long Beach Gateway Signage Installation Plan, an update on Redevelopment Agency gateway signage, a proposed Citywide signage plan, an overview of the Downtown Wayfinding Signage Program and other signage efforts.
Background
On February 2, 1999, the City Council approved a recommendation from the Traffic and Infrastructure Committee (Committee) to establish a City Signage Task Force (Task Force) under the direction of Long Beach Strategic Marketing, Inc. The Committee instructed the Task Force to produce a report including designs, proposed materials, costs, production and placement schedule, maintenance features, existing ordinances, adaptability to geographic locations and general aesthetics. Specifically, the Task Force was asked to develop sign designs for City entrances at the southern end of the 710 Freeway and the intersection of Marina Drive and 2nd Street.
The Committee received the Task Force's report on September 14, 1999 (Exhibit B), and on October 5, 1999, the City Council concurred with the recommendations of the Committee. The recommendations included approving the concepts outlined in the Task Force's report, authorizing Long Beach Strategic Marketing, Inc. to apply for permits for two signs, and requesting staff to report back with recommendations for
implementing a Citywide signage program. For a variety of reasons, no action was taken to implement these recommendations and no signage was installed until 2004 when a new program was initiated by the Redevelopment Agency.
Redevelopment Agency Gateway Signage Program
Proaram
The Redevelopment Agency issued bonds of $40 million for the North Long Beach Redevelopment Project Area in 2002. Of this amount, $18 million was allocated for infrastructure including street reconstruction, dirt alley paving, new streetscapes and landscaped medians. Community members in North Long Beach requested that gateway signs be incorporated into construction plans for street medians at entrances to the City. The first sign in North Long Beach was installed in the Paramount Boulevard median at the northern City border. In addition, two more signs were installed in the City, one by the Redevelopment Agency and one by the Department of Public Works.
These are located at the 710 Freeway median, south of the 6th Street overpass and the Spring Street median, east of Linden Avenue.
The Redevelopment Agency plans to continue installing gateway signage in North Long Beach as street medians are constructed, including (Exhibit C):
. Atlantic Avenue median, south of SR-91 (Artesia Freeway) . Cherry Avenue median, south of SR-91 . Artesia Avenue median, at western City border . Artesia Avenue median, at eastern City border . Del Amo Boulevard median, east of 710 Freeway . Del Amo Boulevard median, at western City border
Staff will also recommend that the Redevelopment Agency consider installing signage in the Central Long Beach and West Long Beach Industrial Redevelopment Project Areas, as well as additional locations in the North Long Beach Redevelopment Project Area.
The Redevelopment Agency will need to approve the installations after making a legally required Finding of Benefit that there are no alternative funding sources. Proposed locations are as follows:
Gateway Signs:
. Ocean Boulevard, at western City border . Cherry Avenue, at Long Beach/Signal Hill border just south of 405 Freeway . Anaheim Street (heading east) . Pacific Coast Highway, at western City border
Entrance Signs:
. Willaw Street, at eastern Lang Beach/Signal Hill barder . Willaw Street, at western Lang Beach/Signal Hill barder . Willaw Street, at western City barder . Dawney Avenue, at narthern City barder . Lang Beach Baulevard, at narthern City barder
Proiect Casts and Timeframe far Installatian
The cast to. the Redevelapment Agency far the installed signage was $25,000. The estimated tatal cast to. the Redevelapment Agency far canstructian and installatian af bath gateway and entrance signage far the fifteen planned and prapased lacatians listed abave is $138,000. The Redevelapment Agency wauld install all signs aver a one-year periad.
It is impartant to. nate that, in March 2005, the new gateway sign lacated an Paramaunt Baulevard was severely vandalized (Exhibit D). Due to. the castly estimate far repair, Redevelapment Agency staff are naw warking with a sign campany to. evaluate a variety af materials far future sign canstructian that will be mare resistant to. vandalism.
Citywide Gateway Signage Program
Proqram
With exceptian af the three new gateway signs discussed previausly, there are currently 16 signs throughaut the City (Exhibit E). These signs are autdated, deteriorated, incansistent and lack vibrancy (Exhibit F). Mareaver, many City entrances still lack any signage and have little ar no. landscaping.
When cansidering visibility far City entrances in terms af traffic caunt, two. design tiers far new signage are propased. These two. tiers are "gateway signs" (Exhibit G) and "entrance signs" (Exhibit H). City entrances were selected far gateway signs based an a daily traffic caunt af 25,000+. Entrances with a daily traffic caunt af 10,000 - 24,999 were selected far entrance signs. There are 14 City entrances with daily traffic caunts aver 10,000 in nan-redevelapment areas. It is recammended that signage be installed at all 14 af these lacatians.
Entrance lacatians with traffic caunts af 25,000+ that are recammended far new gateway signs include (Exhibit I):
. 7th Street/State H ig hway 22 . Carsan Street, at eastern City barder . Lakewaad Baulevard, at narthern City barder . Pacific Caast Highway, at eastern City barder
Entrance locations with traffic counts of 10,000 - 24,999 that are recommended for new entrance signs include (Exhibit J):
. Bellflower Boulevard, at northern City border . Clark Avenue, at northern City border . Willow Street, at eastern City border . Wardlow Road, at western City border . 2nd Street, at eastern City border . Spring Street, at eastern City border . Wardlow Road, at eastern City border . Studebaker Road, at northern City border . Woodruff Avenue, at northern City border . Palo Verde Avenue, at northern City border
See Exhibit K for a map of all signage locations listed so far in this report.
Proiect Costs and Timeframe for Installation
Due to General Fund funding constraints, it is recommended that both gateway and entrance signage be installed in non-redevelopment areas over a three-year period.
This timeframe will also allow staff the opportunity to work with private developers to seek private funds for signage as appropriate. The installation schedule will be prioritized by traffic count. In addition, all existing City signage will be removed.
Attached is a table of all proposed locations (Exhibit L).
The approximate cost of each gateway and entrance sign, including installation, is $12,500 and $2,600 respectively. Four gateway signs ($50,000) and ten entrance signs ($26,000) are proposed, for a total estimated project cost of $76,000. It is recommended that the City Council appropriate General Fund monies of $25,334 each year over the next three years for the installation of gateway and entry signage in nonredevelopment areas, and that the Department of Public Works be assigned to supervise the signage installation plan.
Downtown Wayfinding Signage Program
Beginning in November 2004, the Redevelopment Agency, together with the Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA), began installing approximately 225 vehicular and pedestrian signs and maps throughout the greater Downtown area for the purpose of promoting the linkages between Downtown's convenient transportation and points of interest. The signage program promotes various neighborhoods within the Downtown as well as transportation routes and specific destinations such as parking, hotels, office buildings, dining, shopping, art venues, museums and civic facilities (Exhibit M).
Installation is now complete.
Development of the Wayfinding Signage Program was facilitated by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) grant. The Redevelopment Agency received $430,000 in funding from MTA, with matching funds of $109,000 provided by the Redevelopment Agency and $45,000 by DLBA, for a total project amount of $584,000.
Other Signage Efforts
The Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) Board recently approved funding to support the development of a Downtown Gateway Signage Program. The program proposes the installation of gateway signage at key entry points into the Downtown area. Attached is an illustration of the proposed signage (Exhibit N). The potential key entry points that have been identified are:
. 7th Street and Alamitos Avenue . Ocean Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue . Ocean Boulevard and Golden Shore . Broadway and the 710 Freeway . 7th Street and Pine Avenue . Ocean Boulevard and Pine Avenue
Cost for the proposed signage is estimated at $250,000 per sign, with a total project cost of approximately $1,500,000. The DLBA Board has approved an annual commitment of $100,000 of Property Based Improvement District (PBID) Special Project funds to pay the debt service incurred for the project through 2012. Alternate lending options are being explored to support the fabrication and installation of a quality project.
This letter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Heather Mahood on May 2, 2005, and Budget Management Officer David Wodynski on May 2, 2005.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.