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El Segundo unveils new gateway sign at Main and Imperial
Summary
City officials and community members marked the installation of a new gateway sign at the intersection of Main Street and Imperial Highway, capping a six-year process of design, public input and site work.
The City of El Segundo held a ribbon-cutting at the intersection of Main Street and Imperial Highway Friday to unveil a new gateway sign intended to welcome residents and visitors.
City officials and community contributors described the sign as an effort to reflect local history, industry and natural features after six years of planning and public feedback. "It looks more magnificent than I had anticipated," said a city staff member. "It's a good reflection of the history here in El Segundo and I hope people like it."
The sign includes imagery drawn from community photographers and local themes, officials said. "One thing that's really neat about the imagery in this sign is that they're taken from our El Segundo media photographer, Robert Settle," a city staff member said. Staff also noted contributions from residents who photograph local wildlife, including blue butterflies, and from Elscona resident Sarah Ainsworth, whose sunset photograph is part of the design.
The project timeline and site work were emphasized at the ceremony. According to remarks at the event, it took six years from when the City Council created an ad hoc gateway committee to select artists and finalize the design. The city ultimately selected Kirsch and Associates as the designer, and the sign's footprint, landscaping and concrete at the intersection were rebuilt as part of the installation. "It took 6 years to get to this point... so it's exciting and amazing," a city staff member said.
Speakers highlighted the sign's themes: a nod to aerospace and technology, local traditions such as baseball, the water tower and the Elscona beach, and the area's natural habitat. "Some of the community feedback that we heard was that they wanted a sense of community in the sign," a city staff member said. "They wanted it to show nature, El Segundo's natural habitat. They wanted to see their aerospace industry as well as technology into the future."
City staff also encouraged residents and visitors to view and photograph the sign. "Be sure to come by sometime and see it in person," Catherine Chen, El Segundo Media, said at the ceremony.
No formal votes or policy actions were recorded during the ceremony; speakers presented the sign and described the work that led to its installation.
