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Marion council reviews finalized community wayfinding master plan, staff to form implementation working group
Summary
Consultant RDG and city staff presented a two-year wayfinding master plan that outlines sign typologies, materials, phasing and an opinion of probable cost; council signaled support and asked staff to return with phased, lower-cost options.
Marion City Council heard a presentation May 6 on a finalized community-wide wayfinding system master plan developed by RDG Planning and Design and city staff.
The plan, led in Marion by a staff project manager and presented by RDG consultant Kenny Okeegbo, lays out a sign family (gateway, vehicular directional, kiosks, pedestrian directional, trail signage and interpretive signs), suggested materials (wood, limestone, Corten-like metal, blackened metal), placement priorities and a five-phase implementation approach. Okeegbo said the plan grew from a 2023 RFQ and two years of public, council and technical committee engagement.
The plan includes phasing so earlier phases work in isolation but are stronger when later phases are built, and an opinion of probable cost that places the full five-phase system near $3.8 million. "The reason why phases 1 and phases 2 are significantly larger ... is because we have the gateway signage inside of those. And those are brand assets," Okeegbo said. He also noted the cost estimate uses commercial market pricing and does not factor in possible lower-cost options such as prison industries fabrication.
Council members said they value consistent design and the gateway elements, but several asked staff and the consultant to explore lower-cost options and sub-phasing (for example breaking Phase 1 into 1A/1B/1C) so the city can implement high-impact elements more affordably. Council Member Steve asked staff to “really be looking at ways on how to control that cost, how to lower that cost, to spend our taxpayers money in the most efficient way possible.”
Amber (city staff) said the council will be asked to "receive and file" the plan at the May 8 meeting; after that staff will form a working group of public works, engineering, communications and parks staff to dig into phasing and priorities and return to council with an implementation proposal that coordinates with the city's CIP.
The consultant emphasized that the master plan contains specifications, sign copy examples, dimensions and vendor-ready details intended to support competitive bidding and consistent implementation. Staff said they may evaluate fabrication options and market comparisons during the working-group phase.
Next steps: the council is expected to receive and file the plan on Thursday, May 8, after which staff will form a multi-department working group to develop a phased implementation plan and return to council for approval and any budget requests. No formal vote or funding appropriation occurred at this work session.
