PARKS WAYFINDING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
A staff report proposing a first-phase implementation plan for a municipal parks wayfinding strategy, starting with a pilot project at Portage Park.
TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT
TO: Council DATE: March 10, 2022 FROM: J. Davison, MCIP RPP, Community Planner MEETING DATE: March 15, 2022
PARKS WAYFINDING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
RECOMMENDATION
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.
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER’S COMMENTS
I concur with the recommendation.
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES’ COMMENTS
I concur with the recommendation.
DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING’S COMMENTS
I concur with the recommendation.
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.
Staff estimates the cost of the signs above in the table below, priced conservatively high.
| Sign Type | Price of Sign and Installation |
|---|---|
| Park Identification Sign | $3,500 |
| Directory Sign | $4,000 |
| Directional Post | $3,250 |
| Interpretive Sign | $3,750 |
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. The plans for each of these parks are within the report’s attachments.
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.
RECOMMENDATION
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.
SUBMITTED BY: J. Davison, MCIP RPP, Planner
REVIEWED BY: L. Chase, MCIP RPP, Director of Development Services
ATTACHMENTS:
- December 14, 2021 Report to COW – Parks Wayfinding
- Town of View Royal Draft Parks Sign Strategy for View Royal Park – Staff - 2021
- Portage Park Sign Strategy Example – Staff - 2021
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