URBANA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT POLICY & PROCEDURE MANUAL

Scope:           Neighborhood Associations, Homeowner Associations, Business Associations       

Purpose:       To provide unique specialty street name signs guidelines for requests from citizens, groups, or associations, the following policy shall be practiced:

Policy:          

Specialty street name signs, which identify the official names of City streets, can be requested by neighborhood, homeowner and business associations (i.e. WUNA, HEUNA, Eagle Ridge Homeowners’ Association, Urbana Business Association) or any group recognized by the Urbana City Council, herein after known as   “requestor.”  

Requests for signage and the sign design will be accepted, reviewed and approved by the Urbana City Council.   The requestor shall notify all property owners, tenants and residents in the effected area of the date of the City Council meeting.   The City will verify property ownership and assist in providing address mailing labels.

The limits of the area for the specialty street name signs must be bound on one or more sides by collector and/or arterial streets.   Specialty street name signs shall be placed in the City right-of-way.   Areas marked by specialty street name signs shall include both sides of the streets defining the area.   The area shall be compact and contiguous and no less than 10 acres (four or more city square blocks) in size.

The material costs (signs, sign hardware, specialty posts) shall be borne by the requestor.   Funds from the requestor may be generated by an association, property owners, tenants, grantors, etc.   If signs are scheduled to be replaced within two years per the City’s regular replacement cycle, the City will credit budgeted replacement cost money toward the approved specialty sign request.

The City will provide the labor and equipment to install the specialty street name signs.

The City will not begin the process for purchasing and installing the signs until all material costs have been paid by the requestor.    

The requestor and the City will cooperate in the development of the design for the signs.   The sign design shall conform with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).    Specialty street name signs shall be made of aluminum and rectangular in shape.   Signs may include an arch design at the top.

Street name lettering will be at least four (4) inches in height in Highway Series C type style, and will be reflective white on a color background of standard traffic sign reflective green, blue or black background.   No other color combination will be permitted.

Standard street designations (Street, Road, Drive, Avenue Boulevard, Court, Lane, Highway) will be abbreviated in 2”-high Highway Series B letters, corresponding with the street name.  

The neighborhood name will be allowed on an arch style design in a font style similar to Bell MT at least 1 ¼ ” and no more than 1 ½ ” in height.   The name will be in all capital (upper case) letters.

The City of Urbana logo (symbol) may be applied subject to City Council approval.

After the design is received, the Operations Manager of the Public Works Department or designee will determine the number of street name signs to be purchased and determine the material costs.    Additional replacement specialty street name signs will be purchased as part of the materials.   The exact number of replacement signs will be determined by the City.

The City shall be responsible for maintenance of the signs.    In the absence of future requestor funding for differential cost associated with the replacement of specialty street name signs, the City reserves the right to replace the specialty street name signs after their useful life back to the standard green background, white-lettered rectangular sign.