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Council previews Auburn wayfinding master plan; council favors compliant city‑limit sign
Summary
Consultant Farron Pierce presented a draft wayfinding master plan that proposes gateway, directional and parking signs for Old Town and downtown Auburn. Council discussed MUTCD compliance and endorsed a conservative, compliant city‑limit sign style while agreeing to pursue phased sign installation funded partly by ARPA and local partners.
Farron Pierce senior associate Rob Hananocci presented Tuesday a draft wayfinding master plan that proposes a system of gateway, directional and parking signs to unify navigation to Old Town and downtown Auburn. The plan recommends sign types sized for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists and suggests names for public parking areas to help visitors find lots and return to parked cars.
Jonathan Wright, the city’s Community Economic Development Director, told the council the project grew from a Downtown Business Association request and that the city entered a professional services agreement for the work in November 2023. Wright said the planning work was funded through ARPA and the SACOG‑linked efforts, and that the Downtown and Old Town business associations and the Chamber of Commerce have committed funds toward sign construction.
Rob Hananocci described four sign categories: large gateway signs at regional approaches, directional roadside signs within the city, parking signs targeted to drivers and pedestrians, and smaller signs for pedestrians and cyclists. The plan maps a prioritized set of sign locations and recommends using distances on directional signs to help travelers judge how far destinations are from their location.
The consultant flagged compliance constraints for highway off‑ramps, which are controlled by Caltrans and must follow the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Council discussion focused on city‑limit sign design and MUTCD conformity. Several councilmembers favored a variant that retained the city’s brand while staying close to MUTCD expectations. “Let’s just pick a compliant one,” one councilmember said; the council coalesced around a version described in the packet as the far‑left, bottom design with a white line element, while asking staff and consultants to ensure final designs meet regulatory and site context needs.
Staff said sign construction will be phased and prioritized; smaller signs and replacements on existing poles could be done in‑house, while new poles and gateway structures may require contracting out. The Chamber, Old Town and Downtown business associations offered financial support for the capital work, Wright said, and staff plans an RFP to solicit bids for fabrication and installation.
Public commenters welcomed the plan and asked that connector areas between Old Town and downtown be included in signage placement. Joe Looney, a long‑time resident and member of the city’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, asked that the corridor between Old Town and downtown also receive wayfinding treatment because it has “its own unique identity” and functions as a destination. Rob Hananocci and staff said that corridor is included in the web map of proposed signs and that final placement will be refined during implementation.
No formal ordinance or appropriation was approved at the meeting; council feedback will guide final design and the procurement approach.
