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County PRT director offers wayfinding sign options to highlight agriculture
Summary
Phil Shirley, the county PRT director, briefed the advisory board on the county’s wayfinding sign program and DOT policies and said staff can work with the board on draft language and placements for agriculture messaging.
Phil Shirley, the county’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism (PRT) director, told the Oconee County Agriculture Advisory Board that PRT can help the board draft language and layouts for roadside signage but that placement and content must comply with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) wayfinding and right‑of‑way policies.
“I serve as the PRT director here for Oconee County,” Shirley said, and explained the county’s two sign programs — wayfinding and gateway signs — and the DOT approval process for attaching supplemental messages to county signs. He said the county can print simple rectangular inserts in-house but that decorative signs or logos generally require outside fabrication.
Shirley told the board the biggest constraint is DOT policy: “The biggest thing is coming up with the language you want on the sign, the size, and possible placements around the county that you’re interested in so that I can give back to DOT for their feedback,” he said. He advised the board to identify a succinct message and the preferred locations so PRT staff can pursue DOT approval and provide layout options and cost estimates.
Board members suggested short, readable messages for passing motorists and discussed various numeric ways to present agricultural economic value. One member proposed language along the lines of “Agribusiness provides $193,000,000 in economic impact annually to Oconee County”; the board asked county economic-development staff to verify whether the figure should represent market value of products sold or a broader economic-impact calculation before finalizing sign verbiage.
Shirley said attaching an approved text insert under existing county wayfinding signs would likely be the most economical path and that PRT will submit drafts to DOT and report back with options. The advisory board agreed to research exact wording and return suggested language to Shirley for DOT review.
