HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2018 0919 CCSA REG ITEM 09ACITY OF MOORPARK,
CALIFORNIA
City Council Meeting
of 9.19.2018
ACTION Approved staff
recommendation as amended
for Tierra Rejada sign
placement to be West of SR-23
overpass
BY M. Benson
A. Consider Design and Locations of City Monument Signs. Staff
Recommendation: 1) Approve City of Moorpark monument sign design
Option A; and 2) Approve monument sign locations as described in staff
report.
Item: 9.A.
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: The Honorable City Council
FROM: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director
BY: Chris Ball, Management Analyst
DATE: 9/19/2018 Regular Meeting
SUBJECT: Consider Design and Locations of City Monument Signs
BACKGROUND
The City currently has two different monument sign styles at key points of entry to
identify the City boundary and welcome visitors. People entering the City from the west
on Highway 118 and from the north on Walnut Canyon Road are greeted with a
traditional mission-style monument sign, while a more modern style metal and stone
monument sign identifies the City on Princeton Avenue at the eastbound and
westbound Highway 118 exits. One of these modern style monument signs also
greeted visitors on eastbound Tierra Rejada Road at the 23 Freeway until it was
demolished in a traffic accident in 2015.
Following the accident, staff investigated replacing the Tierra Rejada Road monument
sign in-kind; however, it was determined that a redesign of the monument sign would be
preferred. This is primarily due to the fact that staff has received feedback from
members of the City Council and the general public regarding the style of the existing
signs. The concerns are generally related to the fact that the existing signs may not
portray the look and feel of the Moorpark community. Moorpark is a semi-rural
community with traditional housing types and an old town feel. The existing signs
portray a more modern feel and are representative of mid-century and contemporary
architecture styles.
DISCUSSION
On June 20, 2018, the City Council approved the Seven Year Capital Improvement
Program for FY 2017/18 – FY 2024/25 (CIP), which includes a project to install new City
welcome signs on Tierra Rejada Road, Princeton Avenue and Grimes Canyon Road.
The first step in this project is to determine an appropriate design for the new monument
signs. Staff contracted with Architerra, Inc. to develop several design styles and options
Item: 9.A.
1717
Honorable City Council
9/19/2018 Regular Meeting
Page 2
to incorporate the City’s “Moorpark” logo and “Life can be this good” tagline. The goal
of the redesign is for a more traditional, aesthetically pleasing monument sign that could
be used at various locations throughout the City and that would not feel dated as time
passed. The results are presented in Attachment 1.
All of the options feature a mixed material design, with a base of cobblestone or stacked
stone veneer making up the lower one-third of the sign, and pre-cast, colored concrete
featuring the City seal, logo and tagline making up the upper two-thirds of the sign. The
City seal is set flush into the concrete, and the lettering is inset into the concrete and
colored to match the color scheme of the Moorpark logo and tagline on our City website.
These graphic elements would be placed on the front side of the sign, facing traffic as it
enters the City. The back side of the sign could be employed for alternate uses such as
traffic safety phrases, street identification, or they could remain blank, depending on the
location. It is anticipated that the use of cobblestone or stacked stone on the base
would vary by location, depending on which would fit in better with the surrounding
environment. The design is also scalable so that the dimensions can be increased or
decreased as necessary for the monument sign to fit at different locations.
While the overall design incorporates mixed material elements, it avoids the modern
design elements that are seen on the Princeton Avenue monument signs. This was
done to improve the longevity of the monument sign design and ensure its appeal for
generations to come.
The differences in the various designs are visible in Attachment 1. Option A places the
City Seal above the Moorpark logo, with an arch framing the City seal at the top. Option
B features the same layout, with a wider arch across the top, spanning the width of the
sign. Option C features a slightly larger City seal placed in line with the Moorpark logo.
Staff is recommending Option A, as it offers the most aesthetically pleasing design that
will remain attractive far into the future.
As mentioned earlier, Tierra Rejada Road, Princeton Avenue and Grimes Canyon Road
have been identified in the CIP as locations for monument sign installations or
replacement. On Tierra Rejada Road, staff recommends that the sign be placed in the
center median island at the eastern boundary of the City. Although this location is on
the other side of the 23 Freeway from its prior location, staff feels that this location at
the City border is more appropriate for a City welcome monument sign. Additionally, the
Development Agreement (DA) with Toll Brothers, Inc. for the Masters at Moorpark
Country Club Estates included an easement on Grimes Canyon Road north of
Championship Drive where the new monument sign will be located.
The CIP also identifies the replacement of the Princeton Avenue signs at their current
locations alongside the eastbound HWY 118 off ramp, and in the center median at the
westbound HWY 118 off ramp. The approximate locations for these monument signs
are shown in Attachment 2.
1818
Honorable City Council
9/19/2018 Regular Meeting
Page 3
FISCAL IMPACT
Following the accident that demolished the Tierra Rejada Road monument sign in 2015,
the City attempted unsuccessfully to collect accident reimbursement to offset the
replacement costs. However, the DA for the Warehouse Discount Center included
$25,000 for the installation of a City welcome sign. Due to the fact that the developer
will be installing a welcome sign on the cell tower at that location, staff recommends
using those funds to pay for the Tierra Rejada Road monument sign. The Toll Brothers
DA also provided $25,000 for the installation of a City welcome sign, which would cover
the costs for installation of the monument sign on Grimes Canyon Road. Staff
estimates the cost for installation of the new monument signs at $20,000 each.
Upon City Council approval of the sign design, staff will solicit bid proposals for the
installation of the monument signs and will return to City Council to approve a budget
amendment to appropriate the funding as described above. Currently there is no
funding allocated for replacement of the Princeton Avenue monument signs; however,
staff will also present funding options to the City Council once the bid proposals have
been evaluated and final costs have been determined.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
1. Approve City of Moorpark monument sign design Option A.
2. Approve monument sign locations as described in staff report.
Attachments:
1 – Monument sign design options
2 – Proposed monument sign installation/replacement locations
1919
Option A
Cobblestone Veneer
Stacked Stone Veneer
Attachment 1
2020
Option B
Cobblestone Veneer
Stacked Stone Veneer
2121
Option C
Cobblestone Veneer
Stacked Stone Veneer
2222
Proposed New Sign
Grimes Canyon Rd.
Proposed New Sign
Tierra Rejada Rd.
Replacement Signs
Princeton Ave.
Proposed New Monument Sign Locations
Replacement Monument Sign Locations
Existing Monument Sign Locations
(not scheduled for replacement)
Existing Sign
SR 118 / Los Angeles Ave.
Existing Sign
SR 23 / Walnut Canyon Rd.
Current and Proposed Moorpark Monument Sign Locations
Attachment 2
2323 Attachment 2