Hoffman Estates trustees want village to really stand out

One way you can sometimes distinguish one suburb from another is through their street signs.

We're all familiar with the standard green signs with white type. But Hoffman Estates is considering a new look, and trustees last week contemplated new designs for the village's signs.

The village is looking at adding the date of Hoffman Estates' incorporation and perhaps the village seal.

One option looked at was to place decals on street signs. But these stickers aren't as cheap as the ones you bought at the drugstore as a child for your collector's book. The village estimated it would cost $187,000 for large stickers placed to the right of the street name, and $22,800 for a smaller sticker tucked in the sign's lower right corner. The larger option would require replacement of every street sign, while the smaller stickers would allow the village to keep existing signage.

Another option is new banner attachments that would go on top of the signs and feature the village's name and the year of incorporation, 1959. That option costs $107,800, and would require replacement of all signs.

They would be phased in under the village's regular sign-replacement schedule. Existing signs were replaced between 2002 and 2007 and have about a 12-year life span.

The two options the board seemed to like the most were two bracketed top attachments, both costing $39,000 and not requiring replacement of all village signs. The first features an attachment across the top of the sign with the village's logo.

"The seal to me is what gives it the cool factor," Trustee Gary Pilafas said.

The other option looks similar to the $107,800 option, but also doesn't require the entire sign to be replaced. The board seems to be leaning toward the latter option, but not decisions have been made. The village would budget $13,000 annually starting in 2009 and through 2011. The new signs would have an 8- to 12-year life span.

Trustee Raymond Kincaid suggested village staff check out adding sign extensions that would be attached to the end of the signs. Village Manager James Norris said such extensions might not be aesthetically pleasing, but staff will still investigate.

Village officials hope to start replacing or revamping the signs sometime next year.

Party in the park: With August here, it's once again time for the Hoffman Estates Park District's Party in the Park. Circle Aug. 9 for the free event from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at High Point Park. The normal slate of entertainment returns. That means games and food, and what I'm most excited for: pony rides.

• Have a Hoffman Estates story idea? Contact Ashok Selvam at (847) 427-4475 or e-mail him at aselvam@dailyherald.com.