CLINTON — Support for a new sign designed to get drivers headed to the Winter Olympics off the highway and into Langley has hit a few bumps in the road.
In October, local residents Eric Levine and Ed Jenkins began a campaign for a new Welcome to Langley sign to capture the attention of drivers taking the scenic route to Vancouver in British Columbia. On the back would be a smaller sign promoting Clinton.
Levine said he and Jenkins have secured funding for the sign, to be erected on a concrete pad at Highway 525 and Campbell Road in Clinton. The pad was built in anticipation of the state’s Welcome to Whidbey sign, since relocated near the ferry terminal.
Though the idea has garnered support from local merchants, the way it’s being promoted has some on South Whidbey scratching their heads. A paucity of public input is the problem.
“We need harmony between all the businesses on the South End, but we aren’t there yet,” said Sherryl Christie-Bierschenk, director of the Clinton Chamber of Commerce.
“The chamber is basically OK with the sign, we just want to be involved with the process,” she said. “I’m in favor of anything that helps South End businesses, but
I have serious problems with the timing and the infrastructure. Ed and Eric have demonstrated a lack of flexibility on both issues.”
Langley Mayor Paul Samuelson said the plan to start construction early in February may pose problems.
“Just about everyone thinks the sign is a good idea,” he said. “But I’ve been working for some time with the Department of Transportation — the agency that controls the concrete pad right-of-way on Campbell Road — and know how complicated getting proper permits and approvals can be.”
Samuelson said the fast-track process urged by Levine and Jenkins to build the sign in February may be indicative of what he termed the “tyranny of the urgent.”
At Monday’s city council meeting, Samuelson said that it has been hard to get Levine and Jenkins to collaborate with all those who have an interest in the sign.
“It’s a scenic byway. You can’t just throw up a sign,” he said.
Levine said the sign will be roughly 22-by-12 feet, featuring “an artistic rendering that shows the iconic Langley downtown with the sea and beach.”
Though an artist’s rendition was shown to Port of South Whidbey officials when the sign promoters sought funding for the project, Levine has tried to limit who can see what the sign may look like, citing copyright concerns. He has also refused to name the artist that will create the sign.
At the Dec. 9 port meeting, Levine and Jenkins estimated total expenses of $3,026, most of which will be provided by volunteer donations in the form of cash, labor or materials.
Construction is expected to begin on Feb. 2, Levine said.
“This is not an arbitrary date, but a tight one to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of the Olympics,” Levine said. “We have to assume that the state and the Whidbey tourism boards have done the advance work to see that happen. Why should we believe otherwise? Whidbey is a beautiful place and I’m sure that the agencies have done all in their power to entice people to take the more scenic route.”
Christie-Bierschenk said it wasn’t the idea of a sign that bothers her.
“The idea for it started in October, but they didn’t contact us until yesterday,” she said on Monday. “There had been no formal discussions with Clinton prior to that.”
She said that Clinton is in the process of developing a business plan to create a positive identity for Clinton businesses, “a sense of place,” Christie-Bierschenk noted.
A sign might help, though some in Clinton have argued for a bus shelter on the concrete pad, located near an existing Island Transit stop.
Sherry Mays, director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce, has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, Dec. 30 to talk about sign issues. Because the chamber has been asked to process the funds for the project, it wants to make sure any questions on the project are resolved.
Jeff VanDerford can be reached at 221-5300 or jvanderford@southwhidbey
record.com.
