ATHOL – Efforts to develop new signage directing Athol residents and visitors to local points of interest, recreational opportunities and municipal facilities may soon be coming to a close.

At the Selectboard meeting on Tuesday, April 15, Planning and Development Director Eric Smith explained, “Three years ago, through a Downtown Planning grant, we had a consultant provided to the town, working with our Downtown Vitality Committee, with the idea of coming up with a branding image that we could use for wayfinding and marketing purposes.”

Smith added that communication between the consultant and the DVC broke down in terms of what they wanted to see in terms of a final project.

“There was a presentation to the Selectboard three summers ago, and we knew some more work needed to be done,” he continued. “Thanks to the generosity of the Parking Benefits District – wayfinding is one valid purpose for use of the downtown parking meter funds – we hired Jake Lyman, and Jake Lyman has been wonderful to work with since last fall.”

Lyman is the owner of Lyman Signs of Phillipston. Smith explained that Lyman has offered several versions of the signage that had been worked up by the consultant, “trying to make the Downtown Vitality Committee happy.”

He then held up a sample for the board and the public to view, adding, “This finally made the Downtown Vitality Committee happy at their last meeting.”

“Most people really like this one now,” Smith told the Athol Daily News in an interview Tuesday afternoon. “It has dragonflies, the tartan pattern, kind of a skyline of the buildings and a sunset view, with the river and trees.”

The phrase on the signage reads, “Naturally Industrious.”

Smith said Town Manager Shaun Suhoski offered suggestions for changes in the mockup.

“He was looking to do something more with the river, to view it from more of an elevational perspective,” said Smith.

He said Lyman signs will provide another alternative based on some of Shaun’s input, after which it will go back to the Selectboard for approval.

Once the final version of the signage is approved, Smith continued, “We can go back and try to seek funding, choose locations, and find out whether some of the signs are going to need permits along town rights of way. I know state rights of way are a challenge. We learned the state doesn’t want to see anything unless it meets their approval. So, we’re going to have to figure out an alternative way to put some of the signs closer to Route 2. Potentially it will be on private property. We’ll have to go back and see how many signs we want to install and then get them permitted.”

Smith said he hopes the town can land a T Mobile Community Planning Grant to help implement the project. The T Mobile website states that grants of up to $50,000 can be used for “projects that foster local connections, like technology upgrades, outdoor spaces, the arts and community centers.”

“It’s really exciting,” said Smith. “I’ll be relieved when this project is done. It’s been three years we’ve been working on it already, believe it or not. The first phase of the project we’re looking at is putting wayfinding signage to do downtown. Phase 2 would be similar wayfinding signage to conservation areas. We’re going to have to break it up into phases. But it’s exciting to know that this project will likely move forward this year.”

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.