The Parks & Recreation Commission is looking at the condition of the signage in all of New Canaan’s town parks, with an eye toward possibly updating it, provided there is funding for the project in the town budget.
During last Wednesday’s Parks & Recreation Commission meeting, commission member Kit Devereaux gave an update on condition of the signs throughout New Canaan’s town parks.
Using Powerpoint and a projector, she showed numerous examples of how the signs in all the town parks are in need of repair – and further how they are all drastically different.
“The signs, half of them are falling off, some are on bent metal poles, many are cracked, they’re all different colors… there’s just no consistency,” commission chairwoman Sally Campbell noted during Deveraux’s presentation.
Devereaux added that the signs are made with all different materials and with different color schemes, creating a chaotic look that hinders navigation.
Recreation Director Steven Benko said it was his preference to use brown and white (brown background, white lettering) for the signs throughout the town parks, should there be funds budgeted for new signs. This would be in keeping with certain other, newer signs already in the town parks.
“I agree the brown and white looks nice,” Campbell says.
Devereaux pointed that “there’s no sign at the rear [main entrance] of the Waveny Park,” to which Benko replied, “Yeah, somebody stole it” some time ago. It was agreed that it would be best to have large “kiosk” type signs at the main entrances to Waveny, informing visitors of the most important rules ands regulations.
Campbell said there used to be a large kiosk style sign near the main entrance off South Ave., but it was destroyed several years ago in a storm.
During the meeting, Campbell asked Benko if there was any money left in the current budget to repair the existing signs. Benko said “not much,” but added that he would see what was available.
The goal for now is to mend the existing signs and get them back into shape. In September, the commission will discuss the possibility of replacing the existing signage throughout the parks, with, as Devereaux put it, “unanimity of design in mind.”
“This will help provide some continuity for our parks,” Devereaux said.