Commission plans replacement of faded decorative parking signs, considers pedestrian wayfinding and QR code linking to BlueDOT

The Mould Webster Special Business District Advisory Commission discussed replacing and refurbishing decorative parking signs across Old Webster and adding pedestrian wayfinding blades with QR-code links to a business landing page.

Commissioners reported a count of 31 decorative parking signs in the district: 19 on West Lockwood, 7 on East Lockwood and 5 on North Gore; none were noted on Pacific. Members discussed two options: have vendors restore and re-bracket the existing plates or produce new matching blades. The commission said some brackets and hardware show rust and may require replacement, but members expected hardware costs to be modest.

Design work for the signs will be handled by Laura Burns of DesignLab, noted the commission, and the city will coordinate sign artwork and installation logistics. The commission is considering a pedestrian QR code on wayfinding blades that would point to an Old Webster business landing page; Scott Prime (BlueDOT) was identified as the most likely city contact to create or host the QR destination. The city manager will be asked to route the request to Scott for follow-up.

Vendors named during the discussion included 1 Signs, Signarama and others; meeting notes indicated 1 Signs had the most competitive quote among those reviewed. Cost estimates discussed in the meeting varied: one speaker suggested a rough estimate of $200 per sign; another later described $75 per sign as an “ample cover” for vinyl and minor hardware replacement. The commission proposed a $7,500 special request for parking and pedestrian wayfinding signs, to be paid from reserves after budget approval, and said it would obtain a firm vendor quote before final approval.

Commissioners also discussed enforcement and temporary signage during removal: if decorative signs must be taken down for periods likely to exceed a few months, the city may need to install temporary standard 2-hour parking signs to preserve enforceability. Members noted enforcement is generally complaint- or call-driven rather than the result of continuous patrols; they asked the police department to advise whether short-term enforcement support would be needed during replacements.

The commission concluded with directions to solicit final vendor quotes, confirm spare plates and brackets in city inventory, and ask the city manager to connect the commission with BlueDOT/Scott Prime for QR-code options.