$1 million in 4 years for signs?

One of the more controversial uses of taxpayer money in the Charlottesville budget is again stirring debate among councilors: How much should be spent on new signs?
This year the city has set aside $200,000 for a new signage program to help people find their way to and around downtown. Now city staff is asking for $250,000 in the upcoming budget and another $500,000 in the two subsequent years for additional signs.
A new set of signs placed at strategic locations would help tourists and visitors navigate to downtown Charlottesville and enable them to more easily find landmarks and entertainment venues, officials say. Far too often, visitors get lost around Charlottesville and end up circling the city looking for the Downtown Mall, said Jim Tolbert, the head city planner.
“We’ve heard for years that people have a hard time finding downtown, the university and their way around town,” Tolbert said. “Right now there’s no current system — just a few signs out there.”
Councilors are having the same reaction to the sign proposal as they did this time last year: skepticism. Last March councilors balked at an initial request of $500,000 for signs and stripped it down to $200,000.
“I think we all had sticker shock about how much is proposed to be spent,” Councilor David Brown said, referring to the request for the upcoming years.
Councilor Satyendra Huja said he could not justify spending nearly $1 million over four years on signs.
“I think some money might be needed, but this is too much for my taste,” he said.
Before giving the sign proposal a thumbs up or down, councilors have asked city staff to bring back a more detailed report and a menu of options.
With the money already allocated in the current budget, the city will buy about 200 new signs, Tolbert said. Some will be placed on the major entrances into the city, such as the U.S. 250 Bypass and Fifth Street Extended.
“The concept is that as you travel into town, you will be welcomed to Charlottesville and then directed to different districts,” Tolbert added.
Additional signs will likely be installed on the mall, near parking garages and on side streets off Market and Water streets.
Bob Stroh, co-chairman of the Downtown Business Association, said that a host of new signs is needed to help visitors find parking downtown and to direct them to key attractions.
“Many people come looking for the mall and then they can’t find it because there are not indications from Market or Water streets that you have arrived at the mall,” Stroh said.
Councilors have until April 15 — when they adopt the fiscal 2009 budget — to decide whether to fund the city staff’s $250,000 request. Councilors seem divided over how to proceed. Julian Taliaferro said he would be OK with that amount, while Mayor Dave Norris said he has reservations.
“It is important to get people downtown but it does seem like a whole lot of money when we have other priorities,” Norris said.