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NewsSunday, November 26, 2006 9:05 PM CST
Pontiac to add signs to help find attractions
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PONTIAC -- Navigating Pontiac and checking the downtown sights may get easier with the help of new signs.

The City Council has endorsed a plan to add signs to help people find downtown attractions, such as the Route 66 Museum and the Livingston County Courthouse.

Final details still have to be determined, but estimates call for about 20 signs at a cost of about $625 each. The signs would be paid through the Tax Increment Financing district, which includes downtown.

The sign system was suggested by HyettPalma, a Virginia-based group that studied downtown Pontiac and made recommendations to enhance the area.

Visitors can find it hard to make their way around Pontiac, which has one-way streets in the downtown area.

Residents who worked with HyettPalma and members of Pontiac Redeveloping Our United Downtown worked on the signs along with Diaz Sign Art of Pontiac.

City Administrator Bob Karls said the signs will be placed at the main roads leading into Pontiac. The proposed locations are along Illinois 116, Old Route 66 and Illinois 23.

“This is one of the factors highlighted by HyettPalma,” he said. “We came up with this design. These should help people find our attractions.”

Alderman Donavan Gardner said attractions can be added or deleted from the signs.

Karls said the city will get signs that can guide visitors to special events, such as holiday basketball tournaments.

The signs include images of street lights that line downtown streets. The poles also will match the street lights.

HyettPalma made a list of recommendations to the city and other community leaders about two years ago. The suggestions included emphasizing the Vermilion River, developing a unified marketing plan and creating more downtown apartments.

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Reader comments on this story - 5 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Citizen of Pontiac wrote on Dec 5, 2006 8:40 AM:

" To Stock...FYI...I don't need to 'be man enough' to do anything. I am plenty enough of a woman. And believe me...I have LOTS of opinions. Have a Happy Holiday! "

Citizen of Pontiac wrote on Dec 4, 2006 1:33 PM:

" To JD...I have lived in Pontiac my entire life and yes, one way streets can make any town a bit confusing, but there are no farmers cruising down the streets like they own it and driving 10 mph??? That may have been you trying to figure out which way to turn, but I have never come across that. And to 'Stock'...sorry man, but I didn't comment on this one until now. So you are barking up the wrong tree on this one. However, I now know when the meetings are and plan on attending in the near future. See you then. "

JD wrote on Nov 27, 2006 6:06 PM:

" Speaking as someone who has to drive through Pontiac occasionally, I can tell you that signs will not make much of a difference. People avoid Pontiac due to poor street layouts, farmers driving equipment through the middle of town like they own it, and an absurd number of people driving at 10 mph. It takes forever to get anywhere, providing one of the ludicrous one way roads does not make you circle the block. "

stock wrote on Nov 27, 2006 4:44 PM:

" that's right, let's be wrong, so you can come on here and hide behind a fake name and blame us for that, too. and maybe i missed the neon lighted adverts on the courthouse peak. i believe the group that came up with this idea were FREE, in other words they GAVE to the people of Pontiac without pay. now, run for office or come to a meeting or at least be man enough to put your name behind what you say. The more people from other towns we can draw here to spend money, the less taxes have to raised. "

what wrote on Nov 27, 2006 1:49 AM:

" you can see the courthouse once you get into town and you can see the 66 museum when you ride around the block what did this useless study cost us and diaz sign should be more community involved and be a sponsor and why all the studys what are we paying our elected officials for come on people take a chance on being wrong sometime "

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