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How a gateway sign helped a town's image.
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By Steve Aust
Civic leaders agreed -- the city of Chula Vista, CA, which had a population of approximately 215,000 in the 2000 Census, needed a new look to accompany its dynamic personality and entice residents in outlying areas to venture downtown. Situated approximately eight miles south of San Diego, Chula Vista had gradually gained population because of its affordability in comparison to the state's northern suburbs.
To enhance its image, local business leaders and the city's Community Development Dept. partnered to pursue a gateway sign on Third Ave. in the heart of the city's business district. In June 2002, the city hired locally based Graphic Solutions Ltd. to devise a sign.
Grand designs
Simon Andrews, principal of Graphic Solutions, said his firm first became involved when Jack Blakely, executive director of the 700-plus member Chula Vista Downtown Business Assn. (CVDBA), approached Andrews about the project.
Andrews said a modest sign, installed in a median walkway, was considered, but the business community wanted something impressive. After numerous powwows, the consortium concluded the design should mix familiar elements from the city's logo, which included a rising sun over mountains and water, and new graphics and colors to portray a progressive persona.
Andrews noted the neighborhood is commercially oriented, but for years lacked pedestrian traffic; it wasn't seen as a destination by non-residents. However, the avenue's transformation reflects an influx of restaurants and trendier shops.
Meeting with city officials and the public required approximately four months. As with any publicly funded project, a few obstacles arose.
"Some on the city council were opposed to the sign's design and scope," Andrews recalled. "However, after public input, this was the consensus."
Andrews underscored that the city had no intention of creating a historic district. "It looks fairly sedate during the daytime," he noted. "But with five colors of neon on a two-sided sign, even using reflected light it looks as bright as an ice-cream parlor, and it's a beacon for blocks."
Graphic Solutions produced the design using Adobe Illustrator® and Aldus Freehand®. Selected typefaces included ITC Leawood for "Third Ave.," and customized Pillsdon for secondary copy. Andrews observed a sign in San Diego's Gaslamp district that highlights legibility's importance.
"It can't be read day or night, which is problematic when it's normally viewed from a distance," he said. "The type needs to be distinct from the background or negative space."
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