ATHOL – Planning and Development Director Eric Smith told the Downtown Vitality Committee this week he has taken steps to move forward to update and expand wayfinding signs in Athol.

The initiative got underway about three years ago when Smith applied for and received a Massachusetts Downtown Initiative grant of $15,000 to hire a consultant to design updated and improved signage directing people to local attractions – such as parks, conservation and recreation areas – as well as municipal buildings and parking lots.

Consultant Mark Favermann of Boston-based Favermann Design issued his report to the DVC in June 2022, which included proposed designs and potential locations for sign placement. Since then, however, the initiative has slowed, due to more time being needed to consider the final look for the signs.

Smith told the DVC at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10, that he will be applying for a T-Mobile Community Grant to cover some of the costs related to the project. The maximum for this grant is $50,000 but he anticipates seeking a lesser amount.

Smith explained that the T-Mobile grant would cover the cost of installing the signs. The $1,500 needed for the design work, he said, could possibly come from the town’s Parking Benefits District budget. At this year’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved this budget, including $3,000 for miscellaneous expenses. Smith believes that money could be used to pay for the design work.

The original designs for signage presented to the DVC incorporated a number of elements related to Athol including a river, canoe, the iconic Starrett’s smokestack, Athol Town Hall and silhouettes of industrial buildings. There was some disagreement among committee members about which designs best represented the community.

“Obviously, we need to have a final approved design for the signs before we can move forward,” said Smith. “We’ve gotten a quote from Lyman Signs to do the signs we hope to install and we’re seeking a T-Mobile Community Grant. (Lyman) came up with about $1,500 for the design work and about $15,000 to produce the signs.”

The Massachusetts Downtown Initiative grant can only be used for the consultant’s fee and designs and installation will require another funding source.

Smith said he needs to review Favermann’s map designating placement of the signs because some of those locations may not work, something discovered when the first T-Mobile grant application was turned down.

“We have to see which ones are in the state right-of-way and which ones are in the town right-of-way,” said Smith. “One thing we found out when we did the (first) T-Mobile grant, they said it was turned down because our project wasn’t shovel-ready; we didn’t have the final design and we didn’t have the signs permitted yet.”

Smith said Assistant Planner Heidi Murphy did more research and discovered “the state will not allow our signs to go up because they have to meet MassDOT standards for signage on their roads. That’s not just an issue with Athol.”

Route 2A is considered a town road from just east of Athol High School to Alan Rich Park, near the Main Street Bridge over the Millers River. Town signs could be posted within that stretch of highway but not beyond. Smith said the next step is to address the site designs and get them installed on the town portion of 2A, after which they’ll look at private property such as Market Basket as potential locations.

Smith said that Lyman Signs will use the designs proposed by Favermann as a starting point for coming up with a final look for the wayfinding signage.

“With further input from the committee (DVC), we’ll come up with something the committee will approve, and then we need to get the selectmen to approve it as well,” Smith said.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.