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 This image shows the design suggestion for a new Le Mars welcome sign which will be posted on a pole near the south interchange of the Highway 75 bypass near Le Mars. The official design of the sign is yet to be decided. [Click to enlarge] |
Le Mars City Council members took another step toward a new sign welcoming motorists traveling north on U.S. Highway 75.
The sign, to be located near the southern entrance to Le Mars from the Highway 75 bypass, was approved by the council Tuesday, subject to Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) clearance.
"We'd like to let people know 'This is Le Mars. Welcome. We'd sure like you to pull off and visit us,'" said Councilman John Leonard. "We'd like to draw people's attention, invite them to visit Le Mars and see what we have to offer,"
The proposed new sign, currently awaiting final design but presently similar to that pictured here, will be of pedestal-design constructed of plastic with a vinyl lamination finish. Projected sign cost is $10,000 to $15,000.
Leonard said the council will decide where the money for the sign will come from once it has the final design and bids.
"Whether it's economic development money or from the Joint Urban Renewal Area, we'll decide before we place the order," he said.
The Le Mars sign will be installed east of the Highway 75 bypass, north of C-38.
The sign will be mounted on top of a medium-high pole for visibility reasons, Leonard said.
"It will also make it easier to maintain the ground below it," he added.
Other Le Mars welcome signs may be a possibility in the future.
"I would expect the city will be looking at signage at the north interchange of the bypass," Leonard said.
A sign there would welcome southbound traffic on Highway 75 bypass to Le Mars.
The central interchange may or may not be chosen for a location of a third sign, Leonard said. That is still a matter of council discussion.
Council members had earlier expressed their interest in new city signage, but have been awaiting the final word from the IDOT following completion of the bypass.
The council also approved a request from Avery Outdoor to use as a billboard on the same property location owned by Tom Maser, Le Mars.
"It'll be similar to the billboards at the south and north ends of town, rented out to businesses who want to get the attention of people driving by," Leonard said. "We approved this sign for the benefit of local businesses -- anything to help get people to own and support them."
The approval of this billboard is also subject to IDOT approval.
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The cost of this sign and we couldn't afford to fix our intersection downtown?? Why don't you people stop playing games and try to do your jobs as people who represent the citizens. Have any of you ever asked the people you represent about anything??? I doubt it.
The sign looks great and will be a nice way to welcome people to LeMars.
I am not sure that with our present economy we should be spending that kind of money for signs. And it sounds like we don't even have to money for the sign if we have to decide what fund it is going to come out of!
What's the matter with the sign we currently have?? Exactly. Nothing. Fix the streets so the people entering LeMars will want to come back!
Maybe it is time that we put the city on a leash funding wise. Any new expenditure exceding a certain amount would have to be voted on by the citizens. If the city council can't get its act together, we sure can help them get it together. With streets in disrepair and drainage grills broken, a downtown disasterously assembled intersection; do we really wantto welcome in guests before cleaning up our mess? The sign looks nice but for the price of 1 we could get 3! Somebody wanted new lining in their pocket!
A classy sign is a way to bring business into town. Think of it as an advertisement. I've had relatives pass LeMars because they didn't know where to exit off, not knowing where "LeMars" began. If we have economic development monies budgeted, this would be an appropriate usage. If we don't have the money from specific funds, I agree, then we shouldn't get it.
In my opinion, we should stack this sign ON TOP OF the sign we currently have.
Jordie and lalala
The new sign is not going where the LeMars signs are now. The new one is going on the bypass before you get into LeMars. (east of 75 north of C 38)