A Gateway and Wayfinding Signage Policy - City of Xenia

GATEWAY AND WAYFINDING SIGNAGE PARTICIPATION POLICY
Endorsed by Xenia Planning and Zoning Commission
February 18, 2010
The City of Xenia Gateway and Wayfinding Signage Plan provides a general signage system for
the entire City of Xenia, and includes a specific Phase I plan for the Downtown Tier Two
targeted area. The Xenia Gateway and Wayfinding Signage Plan will be followed in any
subsequent phases of the plan, with future specific phases presented to Xenia City Council for
approval and adoption as part of the capital budgeting process. The general signage system
and design family adopted by Xenia City Council in 2010 will be the governing system used to
develop future wayfinding signage phases as funding becomes available.
Wayfinding Sign Locations: Wayfinding signage will be placed in City rights of way or on
publicly owned property. Placement of wayfinding signs may occur on private properties
provided a lease and/or easement of no less than 10 years is granted to the City to allow for the
installation and maintenance of the sign on that private location.
Eligibility for destination inclusion on wayfinding signage messaging
Destinations that are eligible for inclusion in the City’s signage and wayfinding program must be
in one of the following categories:
1. City or publicly owned and operated facilities and destinations.
2. Public service destinations such as public parking lots, parks, major public roadways and
trails, and weather-safety areas.
3. City-recognized districts and neighborhoods will be considered for inclusion (Historic
Downtown, Historic Neighborhoods such as Waterstreet, Carnegie, East Second Historic
District, Mid-Town, Government Center, In-town shopping centers such as Xenia Towne
Square, etc.)
4. Educational institutions with a minimum annual student body of 350 students.
5. Not-for-profit institutions with an annual operating budget greater than $3M or that have
facilities that draw visitors and organized group users from beyond the Miami Valley
Area on a regular basis as documented by their published reservation and scheduling
calendar.
In order to avoid an over-proliferation of signs in the downtown and throughout Xenia,
the following entities are excluded from participation:
• Individual, for-profit destinations. (Refer to item 3 above regarding districts.)
• Not-for-profit destinations, educational or otherwise, that do not meet the above
qualifications.
• Due to separation of church and state, places of worship will not be included on City
wayfinding signage.

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Financial Requirements for Participants:
Any eligible organization that wishes to participate in the City of Xenia’s Wayfinding Signage
program will be asked to provide financial participation. That participation amount will not just
be for the specific sign(s) on which the qualified organization is included, and participants will
not be purchasing the right to a specific "number of appearances.” (For example, if they pay
$6,000 to be on one sign, it will not follow that for $12,000 they can be on two.) Rather,
participants will pay a lump sum fee that will allow them to be on up to three signs that fall within
a certain radius of their primary entity entrance or campus. The lump sum will include annual
anticipated maintenance costs of the entire wayfinding signage phase as well as an upfront
maintenance fund which will consist of 35% of the total wayfinding signage costs estimated over
a 10 year period. This 35% escrow will allow for replacement of signs that are damaged by sun
exposure, graffiti, natural elements (winds, hail, etc.) and vehicular damaged signs not covered
by City insurance.
Example:
Phase I Initial Cost $100,000
Anticipated 35% maintenance Escrow: $ 35,000
Total cost of Phase I: $135,000
Participant Commitment .05 of total cost: $ 6,750
Non-payment: The City reserves the right to waive cost requirements and include a
“non-paying” entity on wayfinding signage messaging if inclusion is believed crucial to
appropriate wayfinding.
Other special way-finding signs:
1. Organizations eligible to be on the recognition gateway signs: Recognition gateway
signs are designed to display official seals of service organizations. Only bonafide
service organizations that have a goal of promoting the betterment of society are eligible.
Organizations associated with a political and religious message or agenda will not be
eligible for placement on the recognition gateway signs.
Participating service organizations will share in a “per sign”
cost, plus 35% maintenance, divided by the participants.
Service organizations may need to provide proof of their
status through provision of their annual audit or Statement on
Auditing Standards, SAS 70.

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Example:
Per sign cost of recognition gateway signs: $19,000
Maintenance escrow PLUS $ 6,650
Upfront costs:
$25,650 divided by participants
If 10 participants:
$ 2,565 per participant per icon
2. Special kiosks:
Kiosks are designed to advertise special events and locational, historical and bike trail
maps. In the event that a kiosk-type wayfinding sign is installed in the downtown,
visitors’ guides with maps designed to promote the downtown and/or midtown
businesses/entities will be allowed to be periodically installed/removed and replaced with
oversight by City of Xenia for placement and removal. Such guides must be designed
for other promotions of the downtown, and not just for the kiosk.