Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text
Wayfinding Sign Design 052819 Minutes
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Minutes Wayfinding Sign Design Task Force Tuesday, May 28th 2019 at 3:30pm Memorial Hall, 801 Washington Street, Canton, MA 02021 2nd Floor, Paul Carroll Conference Room Present: Laura Smead, Larry Bogue, Regen Milani, Emily Prigot, Vic Del Vecchio Not Present: Mike Loughran, Patricia McDermott 1. Discuss samples of signs in Town a. Regen Milani has taken more photos that she can email to the larger group b. Task force liked the entrance signage for Gunning Field, Earl Newhouse, Senior Center signs c. Task force liked the white posts on either side, the green background, gold letter d. Task force would add a town seal e. No strong preference between a rectangular sign or an oval sign (as on Senior Center) f. Noting one of the Parks and Recreations signs, Vic Del Vecchio indicated he would prefer all entryway signs to only state “Town of Canton” and not also include a specific town department or commission on them. He said that some member(s) of the Board of Selectmen in the past have told him this would be their preference. He felt it important that residents understand that it is the Selectmen who are ultimately responsible for these properties, versus “silo-ing” properties by the department responsible for them. g. Regen would like to see conservation properties designated as such on the entry sign. She feels that clearly identifying properties set aside for conservation conveys a message of their purpose and that she feels this is important. h. Laura Smead suggested as a compromise that entry way signs might be standardized as “Town of Canton” but department ownership, maintenance contacts, rules, maps, etc. might be put on separate signs on the property. 2. Discuss sign slides from Open Space & Recreation update, 7-year Open Space and Rec Action Plan, and Downtown Parking Study sign recommendations a. The task force liked sign examples from Lexington, Needham (trails), and those on the downtown parking study. b. Needham trail medallion examples could be replicated for Canton and use different colors/numbers for different trails. c. Emily Prigot liked the idea of having walking distance wayfinding signs in downtown, e.g. 5 minute walk to the Paul Revere Heritage Site/post office/etc. 3. Graphic design vendor contacts a. Larry Bogue will find out and let the group know of what signage services the Parks and Recreation has used before b. Interpretive graphics company was chosen for the Paul Revere Heritage site interpretive signage c. Pannier was also identified for sign design and fabrications but not interpretive writing d. Tim Calabrese on the Walk Bike and Hike Committee works for Mass Audubon and may have another source (Patti will follow up with him)
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e. Generally all agreed that it would be helpful to hire a graphic design company who can come up with fonts, color swatches, and templates for the variety of different sign types and styles we will need so that there can be some cohesiveness across the diversity of signage that the town utilizes. Then staff would be empowered to communicate the required style specifics to any sort of sign company who would actually produce the signs. f. Emily will call up other Towns with signs we like (e.g. Lexington, Needham) to see who they used for signage or graphic design services g. Laura will look into local graphic design firms also 4. Samples of trail signs or other signage a. Discussed with agenda item 2 5. Broad categories of sign types we will need a. Open Space and Recreation: Entry identification signs that can be read from vehicles on the street b. Open Space and Recreation: Possible other pedestrian-scale entry signs if needed further in on a site c. Open Space and Recreation: Trailhead signs that include maps of the trail network on the site and properties it connects to, including other destinations, amenities, additional parking areas, rules and regulations for the property, history of the site, and funding sources (e.g. acknowledgements of grants, CPA, or donations) – Regen indicated she would prefer trail maps to not be printed per se but available on a kiosk so that it can be easily updated d. Open Space and Recreation: Rules and Regulations signage near the parking areas and at connection points to adjacent properties (if not done on a trailhead sign) e. Parking directional signage (might be different for downtown versus open space properties) f. Open Space and Recreation: Trail markers and wayfinding, e.g. simple trail blazes marked on trees, posts with arrows, or larger signs identifying trail names g. Open Space and Recreation/Historical: Educational signage – might be full-sized interpretive panels to small signs which identify plant species along a trail h. Open Space and Recreation/Historical: Funding source recognition signage (if not incorporated into a kiosk or other sign, e.g. CPA funds, donations, or grant funding) i. Downtown: Parking rule signage j. Downtown: Identify public parking, including free and long-term parking (both on-and off street, especially unregulated spaces k. Downtown: Identify major points of interest, and wayfinding to guide people to walking destinations downtown and back to parking locations (e.g. provide estimated walk times or other) 6. Next steps for: a. Determining costs and scope of work for hiring a graphic design firm to do graphic standards for wayfinding and signage for different purposes i. Emily will provide names of sign companies/graphic design used in other towns ii. Larry will provide name of sign companies used previously in Canton iii. Laura and Emily will investigate other local names of graphic design firms
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b. Allocating funding to design graphic standards for wayfinding and signage (To be discussed next meeting) c. Hiring a firm to design graphic standards for wayfinding and signage and complete that work (To be discussed next meeting) d. Paul Revere Heritage Site interpretive panels designed and installed (in progress) e. Preliminary interpretive panels designed and installed at Pequitside Farm, depending on available Conservation Commission/ Agent funds (To be discussed next meeting) f. Identifying key areas in the Town Center that could benefit from signage, what that signage would be; approach private business owners about voluntary sign program for off-street parking and shared parking agreements (can be separate issues) (To be discussed next meeting) 7. Accept meeting minutes a. Accepted 5-0 8. Discuss next meeting date a. Laura will send out an email or Doodle poll for another meeting to be scheduled for June