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Falls Church staff seek honorary Saigon Boulevard signs near Eden Center
Summary
City staff told the council they will seek to reaffirm an honorary ceremonial name — "Saigon Boulevard" — for stretches of Wilson Boulevard near Eden Center, proposing two brown-and-white commemorative signs and several logo/design options; adoption is on the Nov. 12 consent calendar and signs would be paid from the city 70th-anniversary fund.
City staff asked the Falls Church City Council on Nov. 4 to reaffirm an honorary designation of part of Wilson Boulevard as "Saigon Boulevard" and to approve accompanying commemorative signs near Eden Center and at Wilson and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The staff presentation noted the East End Small Area Plan recommended signage and Vietnamese-language recognition of the neighborhood's history. Staff said a prior resolution (2005-41) and Virginia Department of Transportation and Commonwealth Transportation Board actions in 2006 had supported ceremonial signage for the same stretch. The current approach would be a council-approved honorary designation that does not replace legal street names or affect property addresses, staff said.
Staff outlined engineering and design guidance that would govern the new signs: brown-and-white color, double-faced panels sized like standard city street name signs, placement atop existing streetlight poles or signposts, and compliance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and ADA/readability standards. Two preliminary sign locations were shown in staff materials: directly in front of Eden Center and at the Wilson/Roosevelt corner near BJ’s Wholesale. Staff said the city would coordinate with Fairfax County about additional signage on the county side of Wilson Boulevard.
On design, staff presented options incorporating English and Vietnamese text and community-suggested logos. Some community groups and the Vietnamese Literary and Artistic Club recommended a clock-tower emblem rather than the Eden Center arch to avoid a design tied only to a single private arch feature. Staff also said some community members suggested incorporating the colors or symbols associated with the South Vietnamese flag; staff said it will evaluate legal limits and provide guidance on permissible use.
Cost estimates in the packet put fabrication, installation and 10-year maintenance at about $600 to $1,200 per sign; staff said production costs would come from the city's 70th-anniversary fund. Staff told council they plan to bring an adoption resolution to the Nov. 12 meeting.
Council members raised visibility and siting questions, suggested an additional sign location near the 6700 block/Wilson Plaza for coverage east of Eden Center, and pressed staff to coordinate with Fairfax County and Eden Center management. One council member recommended timing an unveiling with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon or a Lunar New Year celebration; staff said community groups had suggested similar commemorations.
The staff presentation and council discussion made clear the designation would be honorary only and would not change postal addresses or replace the legal name "Wilson Boulevard." The council did not vote on the sign designs Nov. 4; the item was scheduled for formal action at the council's Nov. 12 meeting.
