Common signs, common welcomes from Southern Iowa communities

Motorists driving into southern Iowa are noticing new roadway additions as they enter communities. Large, community entrance signs, sporting the Historic Hills’ regional visitor logo, have been erected to welcome travelers.

Local representatives from the counties of Appanoose, Clarke, Davis, Decatur, Lucas, Monroe, Van Buren, Wapello, and Wayne, known as the Historic Hills Corridor Management Committee, have been quietly working with the Chariton Valley Planning and Development Council of Governments for several years to finalize a common entrance sign program. The result of the committee’s planning is that 39, common signs are now erected at community entrances region-wide.

The Historic Hills committee selected the sign design, identified locations, secured easements, collected matching funds for a grant, and successfully received a federal funding through the Federal Highway Administration to make the program successful.

“When the committee first began the planning for these city entrances more than five years ago, we all loved the idea of people passing through our communities, seeing similar signs, and identifying southern Iowa as a destination place similar to the Amana Colonies or other attractive and welcoming places,” explains Tracy Daugherty Miller, executive director of Chariton Valley Planning and Development Council of Governments. “Little did we know exactly how much coordination it would take to find locations for these signs outside of the highway right of way, collect and file easements, and adhere to all of the federal requirements associated with the grant.”

Daugherty Miller notes that now that the entryway signs are installed the committee thinks that the work was well worth the result. She reports that her office is hearing from cities that did not participate in the initial program that would like to have the signs in their communities.

“Since the committee has had many, many inquiries about the sign program and since the grant that we received for the initial round of signs is closed out,” Daugherty Miller discloses, “the committee will provide interested communities with the construction specifications for the signs and the cost estimates for the cities to install the signs on their own.”

Next up for the committee is installation of common, directional signs in the Historic Hills communities. These sign systems will direct motorists to basic services and also attractions including museums, libraries, historic districts, and shops.

Those interested in participating in Historic Hills planning projects or the sign program, may contact Lacey Johnson, coordinator for the Historic Hills program at Chariton Valley Planning and Development Council of Governments at 641-437-4359 or at ljohnson@charitonvalleyplanning.com

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