City Council
MEETING DATE: 6/8/2016
TITLE:
Title
Citywide Wayfinding Signage Design and Release of Bid Package
End
FROM:
Leisa Lukes, Economic Development Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City Council approve the Citywide wayfinding sign designs; direct the consultant to prepare the sign fabrication bid package; authorize release of the bid package for sign fabrication; and authorize the City of Desert Hot Springs (DHS) to install a DHS entryway element on Palm Drive adjacent to the City boundary.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City Council approved a Design Professional Services Agreement with Graphic Solutions (Consultant) on January 13, 2016, to develop and implement a comprehensive Citywide Sign Program to unify and consolidate the City’s entryway signs, vehicular directional signs, and downtown directory signs. The program is geared toward improving the City’s overall appearance and providing residents and visitors with readily identifiable directional information in a graphically coordinated format.
At City Council’s direction, a Sign Committee comprised of Councilmembers Kaplan and Carnevale and two members from each of the City’s commissions and the Cathedral City Chamber of Commerce was formed to assist in building consensus for the preferred sign designs. The Committee met with the Consultant in February and March to discuss sign design options and identify design preferences. Initial preferences were then presented to the City Council and each of the respective committees for discussion. The input received was compiled and after further discussion by the Committee at its meeting in April, the members reached consensus and recommended that the Consultant finalize their design preferences. Since that time, the Consultant has refined the preferred design for each of the sign types; identified material and paint options; and prepared a schedule for construction document preparation, fabrication, and installation.
The refined sign designs, representative of what was presented to the City Council and each of the respective committees in March, are now being presented to the City Council for final approval. Staff is also recommending that Council authorize staff to direct the consultant to prepare the construction documents and fabrication bid package; and authorize release of the bid package for sign fabrication.
DISCUSSION:
The wayfinding sign designs consist of eight sign types:
A1. Gateway Sign at Existing Art Sculpture
A2. Stand-alone Gateway Sign (No Sculpture)
B. Post-mounted Gateway Sign
C. Vehicular Directional Sign at Roadside (Small)
D. Vehicular Directional Sign in Median (Large)
E. Pedestrian Directional Sign
F. Pedestrian Kiosk/Directory
G. Double-sided Digital Reader Board/Directory
WAYFINDING SIGN DESIGNS (reference Attachment 1)
A1. Gateway Sign at Existing Art Sculpture - Gateway signs serve to denote entryways into the City. The A1 sign design is proposed for the City’s major entryways and incorporates existing art sculptures at or near these locations. The “Cathedral City” text would be removed from the existing sculpture base and the gateway element would be added. These can be modified to accommodate locations that are limited in size. Drought tolerant plants and rock elements are recommended to further enhance the gateway entrance. Attachment 1 shows both front and rear views of this proposed gateway sign. The sign element would be a 1-inch thick fabricated curved cabinet with a painted finish, an inset stainless steel City logo on the face, and accent painting on the rear. These will be illuminated where feasible.
A2. Stand-alone Gateway Sign (No Sculpture) - This gateway sign design is similar to A1 but would be located where an art sculpture does not currently exist. These can include an optional tree component (i.e., 15-gallon Palo Verde) but in either case, drought tolerant plants and rock elements are recommended. The design materials are consistent with A1 and these, too, will be illuminated where feasible.
B. Post-mounted Gateway Sign - Not all of the City’s entryways are located along major arterials and/or they may not have the benefit of a broad median. In these locations, the gateway sign will be a post-mounted metal panel. This sign type also provides a viable alternative “placeholder” for gateway locations where an A1 or A2 gateway sign may be accommodated and desired but is outside the scope of the project budget in the near term. A 4-foot x 6-foot single-layer painted metal panel will be attached to two painted steel posts and have a minimum clearance of 6 feet. The City logo will be applied using either reflective vinyl or silver paint. These signs will not necessarily be illuminated.
C. Vehicular Directional Sign at Roadside (Small) - These directional signs, visible by motorists and pedestrians alike, will be located throughout the City adjacent to major roadways to provide direction to the City’s places of interest (civic, community services, parks/recreation, arts and entertainment, and retail clusters). A 4-foot x 6-foot double-layer panel will be attached to a single painted steel post and have a minimum clearance of 7 feet 6 inches. The City logo viewed from the front will be applied using either reflective vinyl or silver paint. The front metal panel will be covered with a colored vinyl having reflective vinyl letters and arrows. Over time, places of interest may change. In these instances, the entire vinyl face is replaceable while maintaining the more-costly metal panel. The back metal panel with the City logo will be painted.
D. Vehicular Directional Sign in Median (Large) - Similar to the Vehicular Directional Signs at Roadside (C), median signs provide direction to the City’s places of interest and are able to do so for motorists traveling in both directions as the sign is double-faced. They provide a viable option where they can be viewed by motorists in all lanes of travel and where the median width can accommodate the sign width. A 4.5-foot x 7-foot double-layer metal panel will be attached to two painted steel posts and have a minimum clearance of 4 feet. The City logo viewed will be applied using either reflective vinyl or silver paint. Each panel will be covered with a replaceable colored vinyl having reflective vinyl letters and arrows.
E. Pedestrian Directional Sign - These signs are designed for slower vehicular traffic areas that have a high volume of pedestrian traffic. They may be particularly beneficial in park areas and arts and entertainment districts. A 2.5-foot x 4-foot double-layer metal panel will be attached to a single painted steel post and have a minimum clearance of 7 feet six inches. This sign is double-faced thereby maximizing the sign space. The City logo will be applied using either reflective vinyl or silver paint. Each panel will be covered with a replaceable colored vinyl having reflective vinyl letters and arrows.
F. Pedestrian Kiosk/Directory - These pedestrian signs will be installed in the City’s Town Square as shown on the attachment. The 2 ½-foot x 9-foot fabricated aluminum cabinet houses an internally illuminated tempered glass case, 2 feet x 3 feet, that contains a map and key places of interest in the City’s downtown. The map can be replaced as needed. Above the cabinet on both sides of the sign is a replaceable painted or vinyl-covered area that highlights several key locations, and can also be internally-illuminated. An inset stainless steel City logo is located above that.
G. Double-sided Digital Reader Board/Directory - This double-sided signature sign is proposed to be located by Festival Lawn adjacent to East Palm Canyon Drive as shown in the attachment. Both sides will contain a digital reader board, 12 feet x 7 feet 6 inches within an aluminum frame that will post public service announcements, upcoming City events, and event sponsors (no private advertising). Working closely with the City’s Events and Communications Manager, the sizing was determined to be suitable for this intended purpose. The names of the two businesses located within adjacent building will be provided below the reader board. The painted aluminum housing is 20 feet tall at its highest point and 15 feet wide and contains an inset stainless steel City logo. The sign base is tiled. The side panel contains an internally illuminated pedestrian directory cabinet, 6 feet x 5 feet surrounded by tile and aluminum with the City logo etched above.
General - The paint is highly durable (similar to automotive paint) and easy to clean. All of the signs are treated with a protective graffiti coating. Sign materials will continue to be refined as the Consultant prepares the fabrication bid package. The color scheme is consistent with the Sign Committee’s recommendations; however, computer generation and printers can alter the colors so a color board will be presented during the Council presentation on June 8.
Construction Documents and Fabrication Bids - Upon approval of the sign designs, the Consultant will prepare the construction documents and bid package. The bid package will be released to obtain bids for sign fabrication and installation. It will specify that bids are to be based on quantity discounts as the number of signs to be fabricated will be dependent upon the bids received. The bid package will also request that bids be submitted with and without installation for each sign type as it may be feasible and cost effective for Public Works staff to install some of the signs. The bid package and distribution will follow standard public works project guidelines. It will be sent directly to local sign companies and to those sign companies that contacted the City during this Wayfinding Sign Program process; it will be posted on the City’s website; and it will be widely distributed by a reputable bid notification company(s).
Sign Selection and Locations - The Consultant will identify specific locations for each sign type during the fabrication bid period. The selected locations and sign types will be dependent upon the bid proposals received and funding sources. The recommended sign locations will then be presented for Council consideration at the time the sign fabrication company is recommended to Council for approval.
Project Schedule - Preparation of the construction drawings and fabrication bid package is estimated to take approximately eight weeks. Staff is targeting September to present the recommended sign fabricator and sign locations to the City Council for approval. Fabrication is estimated to take approximately seven weeks, with installation of the signs to commence in early November.
DESERT HOT SPRINGS ENTRY ELEMENT
The City of Desert Hot Springs (DHS) has requested the Cathedral City’s approval to install an entryway element within the Palm Drive median adjacent to DHS’s boundary (reference Attachment 2). The configuration of the adjoining city boundaries and the location of the street median necessitates that the proposed element be located within the City of Cathedral City in order to serve as an entryway to DHS. A similar situation occurs between the Cities of Cathedral City and Rancho Mirage on Dinah Shore Drive.
The proposed entryway element would be designed, constructed, installed and maintained by DHS. With Council approval, staff will prepare any necessary documents.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None with this action. An amount of $250,000 was budgeted over FY15/16 and FY16/17. Approximately $48,000 has been allocated to Consultant contract design services. The Consultant is contracted to prepare the bid documents, determine sign locations and provide construction administration. Upon completion of the bid documents, staff will take the lead on releasing these documents to obtain bids for sign fabrication. Once all bids have been received and reviewed, staff will recommend to the City Council a preferred sign fabrication contractor and sign installation locations.
DHS will design, construct, install and maintain their proposed entryway element to be located on Palm Drive adjacent to the City boundary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Citywide Wayfinding Sign Designs
2. DHS Proposed Entryway Element for Palm Drive