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Community development presents Butte Wayfinding Plan; officials weigh funding and maintenance
Summary
The Butte Wayfinding Plan, part of the 2022 Uptown Master Plan, proposes a system of pedestrian and vehicular signs across Butte‑Silver Bow; director Karen Burns outlined funding partners, an implementation phasing approach and next steps for engineering and fabrication bids.
Karen Burns, Butte‑Silver Bow community development director, presented the Butte Wayfinding Plan to the Council of Commissioners on June 11, describing a comprehensive, branded signage system designed to guide drivers and pedestrians to uptown destinations.
The plan, adopted as a priority from the 2022 Uptown Master Plan, recommends design standards, sign types (vehicular and pedestrian), placement specs and a catalog of recommended sign locations. Burns said the plan uses the Butte TBID branding, includes more than "well over probably 250 different signs that would be placed within our community," and that the project will be phased because the full implementation cost is “extensive.”
Why it matters: Consistent wayfinding signage aims to channel visitors off the interstate into uptown businesses and trails, support tourism and encourage walking and biking; the plan also identifies priority routes for initial implementation and construction specifications so signs have a uniform look.
Funding and maintenance questions came from several commissioners. Commissioner Thatcher asked whether the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) could fund implementation; Burns said she expects to request implementation dollars from TBID after securing additional planning funds. Commissioner Callahan asked whether signs would be attached to existing utility poles; Burns replied, “These will be mounted on their own poles. They will not be placed on any other pole that's belongs to anyone else.”
When asked about ongoing maintenance and repairs, Burns said the plan specifies sturdier construction than typical street signs and that placement is chosen to reduce damage risk; she added that the county’s sign shop might be able to fabricate replacement pieces but that initial production may require specialized vendors. She said the plan was funded in part by a Montana Main Street planning grant, the URA and the Tourism Business Improvement District, and that the county has an outstanding grant application to the U.S. Department of Commerce for implementation funds.
The council then moved to place the wayfinding communication on file; the clerk recorded a unanimous voice vote of 11–0 in favor.
Ending: Burns said she will post the full wayfinding plan on the Butte‑Silver Bow website and prepare RFPs for phased fabrication, mounting and installation as funding becomes available.
