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Nothing says welcome to Lafayette like an entrance sign. What started as residents looking to rebuild an aging sign near the Acalanes Road off ramp has evolved into a citywide upgrade of three entrance signs at Oakhill Road, Pleasant Hill Road and Acalanes Road.
Several meetings over a number of years have focused on sign design that will be durable for the long term. The final version features Alaskan Yellow cedar with a steel planter box, with half-inch thick letters that spell out "Lafayette," and a stone veneer at the bottom similar to the existing planters in Plaza Park. Steven Falk, city manager, said the "material is pretty bullet proof."
Initially $80,000 was allocated for complete upgrades for all three main entrance signs, but because the current bid by Thomas Swan Sign Company of Richmond came in at over $93,000 to build and install the signs, it became necessary to go back to the City Council for approval.
Lighting is extra, an additional $9,000 to be exact, bringing the total to over $102,000. LED lights can be placed behind the letters for a "halo" effect that the street improvement task force unanimously favors. With council member Brandt Andersson absent, there were three votes in favor and one against to approve the signs with the lighting. Council member Traci Reilly was concerned with project creep, commenting that she's "hung up on the dollar amount" and that "a modest repair has morphed into something else."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA