Trenton council studies Downtown Trenton parking‑lot sign; DDA backs $12,000 non‑digital design

The Trenton City Council discussed options for a sign at the West Jefferson and Elm Street parking lot during a study session called to order at 6:02 p.m. Council and Downtown Development Authority staff reviewed three design options and discussed placement, cost and maintenance.

Angelia, the Trenton DDA director, told the council she had returned to sign vendors after the last meeting and asked for nondigital options. "This is the sign the Trenton DDA board supported and liked. It is 12,000," Angelia said, describing a sign with a stone-and-wood appearance and space for the phrase "Welcome to Downtown Trenton." She said the sign would be an aluminum structure with a wood‑grain finish and could include wayfinding elements such as arrows to Elizabeth Park or Rotary Park.

Why it matters: council members said the sign would affect wayfinding, downtown promotion and the city’s streetscape budget. Council discussion focused on whether to install a non‑digital sign in the DDA district parking lot or reserve a digital sign for a higher‑traffic location.

Details and debate

Angelia said the DDA board had no objection to a nondigital sign and that the chosen design was roughly half the cost of the earlier digital proposal. Council members noted differences in cost and functionality: Angelia described the non‑digital option as about $12,000; several council members referenced the previously considered digital option as being closer to $30,000.

Councilman Prucci said he was not opposed to a digital sign but wanted public answers to questions before committing. "I wasn't opposed to the digital sign. I just had questions that I needed to have in a public conversation and have answers to, just for the record," Prucci said.

Councilwoman Bonkrux spoke in favor of a digital display for visibility and flexibility. "The digital one seems to be more brighter. You can see the thing what's going on better," she said, adding concerns about upkeep for a wood‑looking sign and saying the digital option would "serve the city better." Other council members disagreed about the parking‑lot location for a digital unit, saying the present site already sits in downtown and a digital display might be better sited on Fort Street or another higher‑traffic corridor.

Several speakers raised practical questions about how event information would be displayed on a nondigital sign. Councilman Prucci and others asked whether vendors could add temporary banners, magnets or hooks for events such as street fairs and festivals. Angelia said she would ask the sign company about non‑digital attachments and options.

Cost, maintenance and competing priorities

Council discussion also touched on broader downtown investments. One councilmember said streetscape work — pavers, benches and trash receptacles — should be prioritized, noting some sidewalks have lifted pavers and residents had tripped in front of Elliott's Bakery. Another councilmember pointed out that $50,000 was budgeted that year for other downtown updates.

Next steps and process

Councilmembers and DDA staff treated the meeting as a study session: no formal vote was taken. The chair reminded the group that "we obviously can't vote on anything here being a study session," and that any formal action would require a motion at a regular meeting to remove the item from the table. Angelia and staff were directed to explore the requested design tweaks (wayfinding angles, diagonal/triangular options, and attachment methods for temporary event signage) and report back with options before the council considered a formal vote.

The discussion combined two lines of thinking: adopt the DDA‑preferred, lower‑cost nondigital sign for the West Jefferson/Elm parking lot, and continue planning for a possible digital sign in a higher‑traffic location later as part of streetscape improvements.

No formal decisions were made at the study session; councilmembers emphasized further review of placement, attachments for event messaging, illumination impacts and budget tradeoffs before taking action.