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7C Page 3 signs, brackets, and poles as well as the installation for most of the perimeter signs, signs along the primary and secondary streets, and the CalTrans signs on the highways and the 3 "You-Are-Here" signs discussed above. Analysis It is important to remember that the primary goal of the Wayfinding Program is to orient the first-time visitor. The signs need to be dependable and discreet. They should be there when you need them, but not overwhelm you when looking at the landscape. To make the signs easy to recognize and emphasize a "sign grammar", consistent geometric shapes were used. The size of the sign is proportional to the width of the street and the proximity to the city centre. The circular shape can be easily differentiated from all other signs along streets in the Downtown. The "round" lets you know the place you are at or in. The "rectangular blades", on the opposite side of the pole list the destinations and their corresponding directional arrows. The signs and their infrastructure are not just a useful and prudent tool for orientation, but also serve to help build identity Downtown. They are designed to contribute to the sense of place. The decorative poles, for example, will elegantly enhance the city center and add to the longevity of the program. Signs also create the opportunity to brand Downtown. We have found, however, that by incorporating a logo into the signs, legibility is lost. The longevity of the sign program also becomes questionable. In considering the logo proposals, it is important to remember that the logo is for marketing and "branding" Downtown. Whose logo is it? Who will use it? How will it be used? To what extent will the City or Redevelopment Agency use it to help market and promote Downtown and to what extent will it be used primarily by downtown businesses and/or the Downtown Business Group? Should the City make the selection? To what extent does broader community reaction guide the decision-making process versus the preference of downtown merchants and businesses? Who will have the primary role for marketing Downtown? Is it a joint responsibility of the City and the downtown merchants? The answers to these questions can help guide the Council in its deliberations regarding the logo. CalTrans Si~ms. After our submittal to CalTrans requesting signs along 101,280. and follow- up signs along EI Camino and Woodside, we were informed of certain restrictions that limit the number of signs. Caltrans approved one southbound sign and one northbound sign on 101, EI Camino and Woodside Road. The Council will need to adopt a resolution requesting CalTrans to place the signs within CalTrans right-of-way. The cost of the signs and their installation will be responsibility of the City. Next Steps Staff is seeking direction from the Council on a number of items in order to move ahead with the Wayfinding Program and have some signs in place by the time the Cinema opens. These include: (a) approval to separate the logo from the sign program; (b) the selection of "RC" or "RWC" (see Attachment 3) for the medallions (staff recommends "RWC"); (c) preferred lettering options, i.e. "downtown" written as one word, or stacked (see Attachment 4); and (d) adoption of the CalTrans resolution (see Attachment 5). 1:2006 STAFF REPORTS AND AGREEMENTS_02-2006_Wayfinding 3 - ~ --. .,- _.n.' ..~._,_ _,_____..~..,,_,_.. u. ,-_.. --