Mundelein wants updated entryway signs
Decades-old signs that welcome motorists as they drive into Mundelein could be replaced with new models.
The village board on Monday hired a consulting firm called Kimley-Horn to design new gateway signs for Mundelein.
Officials want to remove the existing six signs and install nine new ones.
The existing signs were installed more than 30 years ago, officials said. They greet motorists at key spots in town, including near the intersection of routes 45 and 176 and near the intersection of Route 60 and Butterfield Road.
The new signs would be installed at points on Route 176, Route 45, Route 60, Hawley Street and elsewhere.
The existing signs are deteriorating, Village Administrator John Lobaito said. Additionally, officials launched a branding program a few years ago, and new signs would be part of that effort, he said.
"There is a focus on the perception of Mundelein, and it is time to modernize," Lobaito said. "Gateway signage is a key element in community identity."
Daniel Grove, a senior project manager for Kimley-Horn, spoke to the village board about the project Monday. He said the goal is for people to know they're in Mundelein when they drive into town.
"It's important to be distinct and have a sense of identity," Grove said. "Something that stands out and stands apart creates distinctiveness and gives you (a) competitive advantage in the region."
Kimley-Horn will be paid $21,330 for its design work. The village board would have to hire a different company to manufacture the signs once designed.
Neither a project timeline nor an overall cost estimate was available.
The 2017 budget includes $200,000 for the project, officials said, but that won't be the total cost. Lobaito said the signs would be purchased and installed over several years.
The cost of the project was a concern for Trustee Dawn Abernathy.
"I don't want to have to raise taxes to pay for gateway signs," she said.
Mayor Steve Lentz called the sign replacement project "an investment" for Mundelein.
"It's going to define our town in a great way for a long, long time," he said.