TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, Acting City Manager
FROM:
Erick Lee, Public Works Director
Katherine Doherty, City Engineer
Kenneth Rosenfield, Consultant Project Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Discussion of Options for City Identity Monument, Street Identity Post-Mounted, Parking Identity Freestanding, and Vehicle Direction Signs within the Signage and Wayfinding Program (Public Works Director Lee).
(Estimated Time: 45 Mins.)
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on the use, size, shape and locations of the City Identity Monument, Street Identity Post-Mounted, Vehicle Direction, and Parking Identity Freestanding signs as designated in the Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan.
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FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications related to this report. The Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan informs future construction phases as defined in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Plan.
BACKGROUND:
In 2014, staff received direction to evaluate Manhattan Beach sign styles and types, and to develop a cohesive signage program that would better establish a Citywide identity. Such signage and wayfinding includes directional, parking and pedestrian signage, monument signs and banners, street signs, murals, and related identity branding.
In 2015, Selbert Perkins Design (SPD) was retained to assess the City’s current information and wayfinding signage, propose and implement a Public Outreach Plan, recommend design standards for wayfinding elements that are reflective of the City’s identity, provide three Signage Program themed options, and develop a master plan based on the City Council-selected design theme. SPD summarized the City’s existing signage program and presented three design themes for consideration for a new wayfinding signage program at the October 15, 2015 City Council meeting.
On October 3, 2017, SPD re-summarized the City’s existing signage program and presented three design themes for City Council consideration for the wayfinding signage program. The City Council selected the “Beach Classic” design theme for background imagery for the Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan (Master Plan). Following that meeting, SPD continued work on the Master Plan including an extensive public outreach program.
On June 5, 2018, staff presented the Master Plan and prototype to City Council for consideration of final approval. City Council directed staff to make minor revisions to the Master Plan and deferred its approval pending an update to the City logo, a separate effort undertaken during that time.
On November 19, 2019, City Council approved the Master Plan and appropriated funds for a Phase I Project.
On July 18, 2023, City Council discussed the Wayfinding Master Plan and the Phase I Project. Direction was provided on updates to the Master Plan (Pier Symbol, Blue Color Designation, Font, addition of Business Directories), which also included modifications to the Phase I Project, particularly that new signs be like for like as existing signage and no large monument type signs be installed without further City Council review. The designer, SPD, was re-engaged in October 2023 to address City Council’s direction in the Master Plan and complete revisions to the design of the Phase I Project, addressing both staff comments and City Council direction.
On October 17, 2023, City Council directed staff to return to revisit the street identity sign color within the Signage and Wayfinding Program as identified in the Master Plan.
On March 19, 2024, City Council authorized the Phase I project be advertised for construction bids. City Council also directed staff to develop mock-ups of the street identification sign to more closely reflect the shape of the City’s existing street signs with the City logo replacing the sun, and to include one example with the wave and sand, and one without. Individual City Council members also expressed support for the street identity post-mounted sign to have a blue base color but there was no specific motion passed or direction given on that issue.
On July 16, 2024, City Council awarded a construction contract for the Wayfinding Phase I Project including the following signage:
• 26 each A12 Parking Identity Signs on Posts
• 8 each A14.A Parking Entrance Identity Signs on Parking Structures
• 11 each A14.B Parking Entrance Height Restriction Signs on Parking Structures
• 10 each B06 Parking Directional Overhead Signs on Traffic Signal Poles
• 20 each B07 Parking Direction Signs on Light Poles
• 4 each C01A Pedestrian Business Directory - Downtown
• 3 each C01B Pedestrian Business Directory - North
The Phase I Project is anticipated to be completed in approximately five months once it commences in fall 2024. It does not include the A01 City Identity Monuments, the A03 Street (Name) Identity Overhead Signs, the A04 Street (Name) Identity Post Mounted Signs, the A05 Parking Identity Freestanding signs, or the B01 Vehicle Direction (offsite) Signs.
DISCUSSION:
Staff and SPD has revisited the history of the Master Plan, studied each comment by the City Council during recent discussions, and has prepared options and alternatives for:
• The A01 City Identity Pylon to address height, width, style, and frequency of use
• The A04 Street Identity Post Mounted Sign (corner street name sign) to address shape, city logo, and branding
• The A05 Parking Identity Freestanding sign for size, shape, and frequency of use.
• The B01 Vehicle Direction (offsite) Sign to address like-for-like sizing, messaging, and frequency of use
Staff requests that City Council review and provide direction on the A01 City Identity Monument as to whether or not to include it in the Wayfinding Program. If it is to be used, staff requests confirmation of the locations for its use (which are currently at all City boundaries for a total of 10 pylons) and if there is to be any change to the pylon height and shape. The City’s 5-Year CIP Plan has funding for engineering design and replacement of the gateway and monument signs programmed for Fiscal Years 2027-2028 and 2028-2029.
Staff also requests that City Council review and provide direction on the A04 Street Identity Post Mounted Sign relative to its shape, base color and logo. In accordance with City Council direction provided at the March 19, 2024 meeting, SPD will present a full-size mockup of the sign and the accompanying PowerPoint provides multiple shape and logo options, as well as depictions of both base colors of blue and white. Staff requests direction on the A04 Sign shape, base color and logo.
Staff further requests that City Council review and provide direction on inclusion of the A05 Parking Identity Freestanding sign in the Wayfinding Program and, if used, to confirm the locations for its use. The Master Plan identified 15 locations for the A05 signs at all City parking lots, however, only seven locations at the parking lots identified as Civic Center Upper, Civic Center Lower, Metlox (two entries), Upper Pier, Lot 7 (Valley Drive) and Lot 8 (Ardmore Avenue) were initially proposed to be included in the Wayfinding Phase I Project. The City Council directed that the A05 signs not be included in the Phase I Project and be subject to further review. The other Parking Lots at which the A05 Parking Identity signs are included in the Master Plan are El Porto, Lot 4, 26th at Ocean, Lot 6, Lot 2 (2 locations), Lot 1 and Lower Pier.
Lastly, staff requests that City Council review and provide direction on the use of the B01 Vehicle Direction (offsite) Sign as to its size and frequency of use. The B01 sign is most often designated for installation on existing streetlight poles in the Master Plan. The structural competency of the streetlight poles to absorb the added wind load for these large signs is unknown and is difficult to ascertain due to limited information on existing streetlight pole foundation designs. The streetlight poles may require replacement or new poles may need to be installed if the B01 Sign size remains as designed. Reducing the height of the B01 signs to a relatively standard sign size of about one-half of their current height will reasonably allow their installation on the existing streetlight poles without further analysis. If the sign size is reduced, however, fewer messages per sign will result and more signs may be needed to convey the desired wayfinding. There are 28 B01 signs planned for installation.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
Extensive public outreach, consisting of online surveys, email surveys, community member interviews, multiple City Council meeting agenda items, multiple Commission meetings and Business Community meetings were held spanning June 2015 to May 2018, leading to the approval of the Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan.
Public outreach related to the proposed business directories was conducted through “look and see” events in conjunction with the Downtown Business + Professional Association on July 11, 2023 and the North Manhattan Beach Business Improvement District on July 15, 2023. The noticing of these events was through the City’s social media channels and postcards.
Targeted outreach will occur before the start of construction for residents and businesses located near and/or adjacent to construction activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed revisions to the Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and determined the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary at this time.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Signage and Wayfinding Master Plan
2. Location Map
3. PowerPoint Presentation