ATHOL — Athol’s Downtown Vitality Committee will decide at its next meeting on Aug. 16 which design to present to the town’s Selectboard for inclusion on new signs to be posted around town directing visitors to parking areas, business, and places of interest. The committee is considering two design options and will pick one for presentation to the board.
The DVC has been meeting with design consultant Mark Faverman, who has been providing guidance to the committee. His services have been funded by a $25,000 grant awarded under the Massachusetts Downtown Initiative.
“We’ve been considering different options for our branding,” Athol Planning and Development Director told the Athol Daily News. “It’s kind of two-part process. The branding is coming up with some kind of graphic image and tag line, and the one the committee likes is the “Naturally Industrious” tag line.
“Then what image do we come up with to use? We agreed early on in the process to have two designs we’ll bring forward to the Selectboard and allow them to be the final arbitrator, if you will. We hope the committee will have one recommendation and that the board will agree with one of the two they prioritize.”
One of the graphic designs features a canoe resting on the banks of a river, the other the silhouette of an industrial building, the type of which is associated with Athol’s development.
“Most of the committee, I think, likes the building concept one more. So, those are the two options,” said Smith. “They kind of need to be refined a little bit in order to meet the committee’s objectives, if you will, or stamp of approval.”
Whichever designs are ultimately presented to the Selectboard, the winning graphic will eventually be seen throughout the town, particularly downtown.
“Obviously,” Smith added, “these signs would then go somewhere. There are different sign types, different sizes, shapes; one is designed specifically for directing people to municipal parking lots.
“We worked with the committee to mark up a map where we think we want these signs to go. We’d have signs where people exit Route 2, for example, which would direct them to downtown. As you come down Main Street, the signs would direct you to certain places — like School Street might be a better way to direct people to the municipal parking lot than having them come down Main Street all the way to Exchange. But we’re kind of working on those details.”
Smith said he and the committee haven’t yet seen a final version of the map from Faverman.
“So, when (the DVC) has its meeting in August, hopefully they’ll have those final two concepts to review and hopefully approve that night, and they’ll go to a Selectboard meeting later in August to get their blessing on the final design.”
Once the final design is chosen, said Smith, developing a strategy for carrying out the plan comes next.
“Then, ultimately,” Smith continued, “we’ll need to get a concept of how much it will cost to install the signs at all the different locations. Obviously, we need to seek funding to implement the project. There may be some grants we could seek to help cover a share of the cost.
“Not only are we looking to bring people to downtown Athol, the way the wayfinding system is being envisioned, it also directs people to all the conservation areas we have throughout the community, whether it’s Bearsden, Tully Lake, Rich Park, the South Athol Conservation Area, for example. So, it’s a pretty robust signage program ultimately.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com