Crestview redevelopment agency moves ahead with photo banners for Main Street

At a meeting of the Crestview Redevelopment Agency, members agreed by consensus to move forward with new photo banners for Main Street and nearby downtown poles, staff said.

Agency staff presented mockup designs from The Lighting Company and asked the board for a general direction so the vendor could print the banners. The designs include photo-based banners highlighting people at downtown events, and color-based standard banners carrying words such as “shop” and “play.”

The presentation matters because the banners will be visible branding for Crestview’s historic downtown and will be installed on dozens of light poles the agency said it has recently added. Agency staff said money for part of the banner program is already set aside in the current Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) budget but that any additional costs would be returned to the board for approval.

Staff described the mockups as not final — proportions and exact photographs will change — and said Shay (designer) and Jayla (staff) produced the custom concepts. A staff member told the board, “We are super excited to move forward with this project, and we need to get some consensus on which direction so we can provide that to the company to have these printed.”

Board members raised practical questions about production and appearance. Staff said printed photo banners would likely repeat the same photograph on each pole of a given banner type to control printing costs, but that alternating designs could be negotiated with the contractor. Staff also noted an increase in downtown light poles — from about “50 something” to “80 something” — and said the agency could choose not to place banners on every pole for aesthetic balance.

Several board members asked for the images to reflect diverse people and households. One member, Miss VanFalk, said the photographs and banners “will be a fantastic addition” and emphasized the value of Crestview’s historic downtown. Another member expressed concern the most photo-heavy mockup could read as visually busy from a passing car and urged clearer wording on the designs.

Staff said the existing contract and budget cover the Main Street area for the current fiscal year; expansion to Wilson Street or Twin Hills Park would be considered in the next budget year. Staff told the board they would check how many distinct banner designs are included in the current printing allowance and would return to the board only if costs exceeded the allocated funds.

Votes at a glance

- Approve agenda — motion made and seconded; voice vote, “Aye.” Outcome: approved. - Approve regular meeting minutes of Feb. 10 — voice vote; outcome: approved. - Adjourn meeting — motion made and seconded; voice vote, “Aye.” Outcome: approved.

Staff said the board’s consensus to proceed with photo banners included direction to increase diversity in the images and to return for board approval if printing or design costs exceed the current CRA allocation.