Presentation: PARKS WAYFINDING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
Slide deck summarizing the Parks Wayfinding Strategy Implementation plan for Council.
PARKS WAYFINDING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
Portage Park and View Royal Park
PURPOSE OF REPORT
The purpose of this report is to outline a plan for a first-phase implementation of a parks wayfinding strategy which aligns with Council’s financial plan (item C-124 – attached to the report) for 2022-2026.
BACKGROUND
Staff presented a report to Committee of the Whole on December 14, 2021 (attached to the report) outlining the Parks Wayfinding Strategy. It borrows heavily from the City of Victoria’s Parks Signage strategy in both design and in that it is modular, repeatable, and scalable for different park types in the municipality.
PROJECT INFORMATION
The budgeting for the C-124 Parks signage and wayfinding budget item is almost all capital expenditure for the next five years, with only modest increases in operational budget year over year. This capital expense is expected to be allocated to adding $35,000 worth of parks signage each year.
| Costs | FY1 | FY2 | FY3 | FY4 | FY5 | 5-year Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 175,000 |
| Operational | 250 | 500 | 750 | 750 | 1,000 | 3,250 |
| Total | 35,250 | 35,500 | 35,750 | 35,750 | 36,000 | 178,250 |
The City of Victoria has indicated that their signs are between $2600- $3600 to produce, with installation on a concrete pad not included (~$500 more). These signs are designed to be modular with replaceable panels and therefore can be modified without complete replacement in the future should critical features be added to parks.
| Sign Type | Price of Sign and Installation |
|---|---|
| Park Identification Sign | $3,500 |
| Directory Sign | $4,000 |
| Directional Post | $3,250 |
| Interpretive Sign | $3,750 |
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
In designing an implementation program, staff suggests that the two parks discussed to this point, View Royal Park and Portage Park and the portage route from the Shoreline boat launch to the beach in Portage Park, as starting points.
View Royal Park Signage
| Sign Type | Price of Sign | Number of Signs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park Identification Sign | $3,500 | 1 | $3,500 |
| Directory Sign | $4,000 | 1 | $4,000 |
| Directional Post | $3,250 | 4 | $13,000 |
| Interpretive Sign | $3,750 | 1 | $3,750 |
| TOTAL | 7 | $24,250 |
Portage Park Signage
| Sign Type | Price of Sign | Number of Signs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Directional Post | $3,250 | 6 | $19,500 |
| Directory Sign | $4,000 | 1 | $4,000 |
| Interpretive Sign | $3,750 | 1 | $3,750 |
| TOTAL | 7 | $27,250 |
DISCUSSION
Given the $35,000 per year budget, there are two options for Council:
- Focus on one park in the first year (2022), and a second afterwards.
- Place the more significant signs in both parks the first year.
Staff recommends focusing on Portage Park as a pilot and installing all recommended signs in the plan in the first year. If there is budget left over, and if the installation runs to budget there will be ~$10,000 left after Portage Park a directory sign should be added for View Royal Park and directional posts thereafter.
- A program for collecting public feedback on the signs should be run the first year to provide a learning experience for the Town for current and future wayfinding sign installation.
- In future years, signage can be installed in other parks in a similar fashion and would consider lessons learned and public input from the Portage Park pilot.
PORTAGE PARK
Implementation Plan Pilot
As mentioned in the report to COW, Council may also wish to consider First Nations naming schemes in the pilot, with consultation with Songhees Nation and Esquimalt Nation.
Portage Park Sample Signage
- Directory Sign: Directory Signs are designed to be the primary pedestrian information sign for the park, including distance and direction to major park facilities, a map showing the locations of all facilities, a scale, a legend, and a QR code to link to a mobile phone version of the park directory. The sign is positioned at the main pedestrian entrance to the park.
- Directional Post: Directional Posts are designed to be secondary pedestrian information signs positioned at secondary park entrances and at major decision-making points within the park. The sign will convey the name of the park and directions to those facilities.
- Interpretive Sign: Interpretive Signs are intended to be educational. They provide detailed information about park features, which may be natural history or processes, cultural histories and features, wildlife information, park facilities, or other pieces of interesting or important information. These signs can be various sizes depending on the feature in question.
Sign Placement Factors
Consider the audience. Who is the likely user at a given location? Someone entering a park from the E&N or a parking lot may be less familiar with the area than someone entering on foot from a local residential street.
Strike a balance between providing information and still maintaining an uncluttered, natural environment which can foster a sense of discovery.
'Confirmation signs' indicating you are on the right trail are only typically required in wilderness areas and on very long or disorienting trails. View Royal's urban parks need only provide information at entrances and major decision-making points where major park features are in opposite directions.
RECOMMENDATION
THAT Council adopt the View Royal sign strategy;
AND THAT Council implement a Portage Park Signage pilot project as per the attached Town of View Royal Draft Parks Sign Strategy for Portage Park;
AND THAT public input be collected around the 2022 Portage Park pilot project and a report to Council 6 months after installation be given;
AND THAT Council spend any remaining 2022 budget on View Royal Park as per the attached Town of View Royal View Royal Park Sign Strategy Example.
Document Images
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