Cities Seek Direction Through Regional Signs

Wayfinding Program Would Assist Travelers, Promote Attractions

Last updated Monday, December 24, 2007 4:12 PM CST in News

By Richard Dean PrudentiTHE MORNING NEWS

Bentonville is helping to lead the way in generating interest among cities. The first step will be to jointly hire a consultant to recommend a plan with concepts, timeline and estimated costs.

Not that the cities have to accomplish regionalism all at once. "We can each individually decide what we want to spend, and each city can decide if they want to do it in phases," Griffith said.

Identity Sharing

Leaders of various chambers of commerce and convention and visitors bureaus say they are on board with the idea of creating uniformity among the signs.

"What this is going to cost us is still a big question," said Tom Gaylon, executive director of the Rogers Convention and Visitors Bureau. "If it's $20 million, then no, I don't think so ... It all gets back to the budget."

Gaylon would be interested in promoting the Rogers Historical Museum and the Daisy Airgun Museum as two local attractions, and possibly private businesses such as the Pinnacle Promenade shopping complex.

"It's not just something you wake up one morning and there will be signs all over the place. It has to be a very well thought out," he said.

That planning is worthwhile, Gaylon said, noting people need direction on how to travel from Point A to Point B once they go off Interstate 540, U.S. 412 and other major highways serving as gateways into cities.

Bella Vista Mayor Frank Anderson said his city would have the funding for a couple of signs.

"I'm sure we'd be interested, but it would be on a minor scale. At least we have a couple places, and we're not talking about 25 miles worth of signs," Anderson said.

Two signs may be enough for the Veterans Wall of Honor near Lake Bella Vista and the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel, both public attractions near U.S. 71.

In addition to Crystal Bridges, Bentonville leaders may want to promote Compton Gardens, Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens and Walton's 5 & 10 Visitor's Center .

Springdale might include the Rodeo of the Ozarks, Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, and the future Arvest Park for The Naturals minor league baseball team. Fayetteville leaders could market the University of Arkansas or the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.

"It's not about telling the cities what they have to do or what they must look like but to create a general vibe," said Daniel Hintz, executive director of Downtown Bentonville Inc. "It's about cost-sharing, identity-sharing, resource-sharing," Hintz said.

Hintz called the signs "infrastructure," just like roads.

"How to get people around from place to place as quickly and efficiently as possible is a transportation issue, and wayfinding is part of that issue," Hintz said.

Joining The 'Puzzle'

The University of Arkansas is working on a uniform sign program for its campus as part of a larger transportation study, said Mike Johnson, the school's associate vice chancellor for facilities.

University leaders want the signs to guide visitors to parking lots and buildings, and they would like cities to work toward placement of signs that guide tourists to the campus as well as other destination points.

"First you have to get them to the city. It's in our best interests to get people to Fayetteville," Johnson said, noting the university plans to move forward quickly with its own project design.

The development of a regional theme would be ideal to "let you know you are in Northwest Arkansas," he said.

The university is working with Cloud Geshan Associates of Philadelphia to create a campus identification, but perhaps that design can work within a larger system, said Jill Anthes, campus planner at the university.

The project would be a first in Arkansas, so "everybody is excited about it to different degrees. People understand we need the system in place," Anthes said.

Investment depends on each city's scope of work. At the university level, officials are wanting to identify individual buildings and parking lots. Cities can pick from a menu of options and decide if they want to pinpoint, say, civic buildings and parking areas besides the regional attractions.

A few months ago university leaders presented the project to representatives of various chambers of commerce and convention and visitors bureaus, as well those from Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning.

At the very least the cities can approve a design concept and join in the "puzzle" when their respective funding becomes available, Johnson added.

AT A GLANCE

Designing Regionalism

Colors, shapes and backgrounds could create the desired uniformity in a proposed regional "wayfinding" sign program. Or cities may choose to use different colors, symbols and shapes to brand themselves within another consistent design element. Logos are another way to differentiate the cities.

Source: Staff Report

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