A sign for the times

Vision 2020 proposes improving signage to Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Jacie Daschel had a confession for the Moses Lake City Council Tuesday night.

Before her family moved to town several years ago, Daschel admitted she had never ventured beyond the gas stations and restaurants surrounding the city's Interstate 90 exits.

Now the Vision 2020 chair wants to make sure future travelers are enticed into the city's downtown and business areas, and sees better and more signs as a way to do it. Daschel and Leslie Ramsden gave the council a slide show presentation at their Tuesday meeting, illustrating a lack of consistency in signs within the city and what they found when driving the loop through town from one I-90 exit to the other.

"We're growing," Daschel said, "and we need to look how we appear to everyone, even people outside our community."

Daschel said that with excitement over areas like the Japanese Garden and Heron Trail, discussion about ways to get people to these areas has sprung up.

Daschel showed the council a number of signs within the city that are either too small or fail to direct people to their final destination. She cited a sign for the city's Museum and Art Center specifically, that shows the direction of the MAC but without a follow up on where it is located. She also pointed out changes in signage between newer and older city parks.

"It is feasible to utilize the logo," she said, "have some consistency and a more updated look."

That city's newer logo, which utilizes a blue heron as a branding symbol, Daschel said has been utilized well on newer signs like that of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

"I think it's sort of a good example of using the logo, the new logo, in a nice way," she said.

The idea of branding brought familiar ideas to Councilman Dick Deane, who remarked that everyone knows the logo for stops on the Lewis and Clark Trail. Deane said the signage used for the trail utilizes the same logo no matter where it's placed.

Their presentation prompted the city council to direct city staff to work with Vision 2020 on coming up with proposals on signage. Daschel said after the meeting that Vision 2020 felt this project is one that could be completed within the next year.

"It looks like to me that the next logical step would be, design the sign," Councilman Richard Pearce said during the discussion.

That design is one Ramsden said would be a design standard, that could later be used and adapted by other groups in the city. Vision 2020 has come up with a rough estimate of $70,000 for the project, which Daschel and Ramsden said would go toward both design and the acquisition of a gateway and other directional signs off I-90 and Highway 17.

The proposal is one Daschel said will hopefully bring visitors off the highway, and through downtown areas.

"It will give us more continuity," Daschel said, "and it will give us sights that people will easily identify."

Also at Tuesday's meeting, the council also voted 6-1 to officially name the Japanese gardens the "Japanese Peace Garden." Councilman Jon Lane voted against the change, saying he preferred "Peace Garden."

The council accepted a notice of intent from a landowner wishing to be annexed into the city limits. Kunze Farms Investment Co,. Inc. has requested that 97 acres of land in Mae Valley be annexed into the city.

Council members unanimously passed an ordinance on first reading, creating a city Community Development Department.