Clinton’s 18-year-old carved “Welcome to Whidbey Island” sign will stay were it is at the entrance to the Clinton Ferry Landing, county officials announced today.

A county sponsored Whidbey Scenic Isle Way gateway monument will be installed at an adjacent location, Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson said.

Controversy arose last month when citizens resisted efforts to relocate the iconic cedar structure further up the highway.

“The concerns came so late in the process,” Price Johnson said. “The county had very few options. Contracts had already been signed and permits obtained.”

She credited county public works officials with devising “a creative solution.”

Later this month, gateway monuments will be installed at Deception Pass, Keystone Landing and Clinton, she said. Each was individually designed to reflect the scenic beauty of Whidbey Island.

The Whidbey Scenic Isle Way project was funded by a federal grant in 2006.

More information will be available at a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at Clinton Community Hall.