Polk County Gateway Signage Proposal

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ignage is a vital tool of economic development. Cities realize that there is a net benefit to a shared approach to attracting business and capturing resident and tourist dollars.

American Society of Landscape Architects

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Polk County Gateway Signage FUNDING PROPOSAL Submitted by the Image, Marketing & Tourism Committee of the Polk County Chamber of Commerce

For further information, contact: Tamaka Hudson, 770-684-8760 Karen Nissen, 770-881-0225 April W. Welch, 770-684-5696

Purpose: An intergovernmental effort to secure funding for gateway and way-finding signs in Polk County led by the Polk County Chamber of Commerce Image, Marketing and Tourism Committee.

Vision: Polk County will have attractive and economically purposeful signage along state highways and major roadways in unincorporated areas of the county and in major roads in cities as needed.

Why are signs important?

Gateway signage is an important component of economic development. Just like businesses rely on attractive and easy to read signs to draw in potential customers, counties and cities have realized that proper gateway signage can make a difference in how their community is perceived. Gateway signage often serves as the first impression for a potential tourist, a visitor and a passer-by.

Moving forward and long-range plans: The Imaging, Marketing and Tourism Committee proposes the placement of seven gateways signs on major Polk County highways. At the time of this proposal, the IMT committee believes these signs can be placed on a mix of Department of Transportation Right-of-Ways and private land. The signs, estimated to cost approximately $14,500 each, will be placed as near to the county dividing line as possible. With hopes of being funded by a mix of public and private partnership, the gateway signage proposed for the county’s major highways is part of a broader plan to eventually include directional and wayfinding signage within Polk’s cities. The impact of these signs can be measured two-fold. First, as an economic development tool that can increase tourism dollars and secondly as a purveyor of civic pride for those that call Polk County home.

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ateway signage lets people know that they’ve arrived and that they’ve arrived somewhere special.

Georgia Conservancy

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Polk County Gateway Signage PURPOSE, VISION & PLAN

Project Plan: A. Sign design

i. Identify types of signs – i.e. entrance signs, area directional signs, specific location signs

ii. Choose general sign sizes to be designed - i.e. very small, small, medium, large, extra large

iii. Determine specific design of each sign type and sign size – i.e. logo, font, sign colors

for each type of sign, materials, height, width

iv. Determine general content of signs – i.e. major entrance, major business areas,

minor business areas, major tourist attractions, minor tourist attractions, specific schools, business, landmarks, historic attractions, etc.

v. Determine specific content of signs - i.e. Welcome to Polk County, Downtown arrow,

Business Park arrow, Historic Trail arrow, Specific Place arrow.

B. Logistics

i. Identify appropriate business, organizations, landmarks, and historical sites that should be on the signs.

ii. Identify placement along stage highways and major roads

iii. Begin Process of DOT approval

C. Funding

i. Put out/receive bids for sign fabrication

ii. IMT Committee agrees on proposed funding plan

iii. IMT Committee identify level of private sector commitment needed to fund project

iv. IMT Committee submit funding request and/or labor to government agencies

v. IMT Committee solicits funding from private sector partners and/or institutional

grants D. Execution

i. IMT Committee place order for signs ii. Establish annual plan for upkeep, replacement, and public and private sector funding

Polk County Gateway Signage PURPOSE, VISION & PLAN

The Image, Marketing & Tourism Committee’s Funding Proposal for gateway signage is based on three previously identified goals.

These goals were listed on page 5 in the Blue Print Polk 2020 plan. (See below)

The Image, Marketing & Tourism Committee places a defining emphasis on Goal No. 2: Improve transportation gateways and corridors.

Polk County Gateway Signage SUMMARY

Funding Structure GOAL: $120,000 [Funding goal includes initial purchase of signs and on-going maintenance/upkeep of signage] A. Current IMT funds, earmarked for project......................................................$11,000 B. Funding sought:

i.) Polk County Year 1....................$20,000

Year 2 forward.....Matching funds

ii.) Floyd Medical Center

iii.) Privately-owned large industries

Proposed partners: Polk County Chamber of Commerce Image and Marketing Committee Polk County Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Polk County Board of Commissioners City of Cedartown City of Rockmart Privately-owned Tourism-related businesses Privately-owned large industries Development Authority of Polk County Rockmart Development Authority Downtown Cedartown Development Authority Downtown Cedartown Association Rockmart Business Alliance Cedartown Development Authority Keep Polk Beautiful Polk School District/ Polk County Board of Education Georgia Department of Community Affairs Georgia Department of Transportation Northwest Georgia Regional Commission

Polk County Gateway Signage FUNDING STRUCTURE

HWY. 113 GATEWAY LOCATION PROPOSAL

HWY. 27 GATEWAY LOCATION PROPOSAL