Everything’s a sign: marketing icon leads council discussion

A sign, by its very nature, is intended to attract attention.

And there is one sign drawing attention in La Conner before ever being installed.

Town council members at their Zoom meeting last week addressed the controversial 11-foot-tall Love La Conner marketing icon proposed for Gilkey Square, paid by hotel-motel tax revenue for tourism promotion.

Two main criticisms have arisen. Art commissioners reject it as art. Park commissioners agree that Gilkey Square is not the appropriate location.

Its design dwarfs the portable Love La Conner sign in tulip pots popular on Gilkey Square last year, enjoyed by visitors following the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown.

“What has been proposed is not exactly what we were looking for,” La Conner Chamber of Commerce Director Heather Carter told council members.

Council member Ivan Carlson, III said the panel must be aware of others’ preferences.

“It’s important that we pay attention to the letters we’re getting,” Carlson noted.

He added that social media is how people communicate these days.

Council member Mary Wohleb suggested increased public participation in town affairs.

“We have an opportunity here to engage the community on this,” she said. “We can turn this around and make it an opportunity.”

Hayes lent support to both Carlson and Wohleb.

Each community voice needs to be heard,” he stressed. “Hopefully, they’ll be respectful.”

Residents called council members and sent them letters.

The mayor highlighted a less costly, scaled-down design, suggesting “scaling it back will be a welcome and prudent approach.”

Signs will be a recurring theme in 2022. Town planner Michael Davolio said the planning commission intends exploring updates to La Conner’s sign ordinance this year.

For that task, Davolio, who has worked on sign ordinance language in Washington state and New England, is asking for help. He requested the council form a group comprised of business leaders and citizens to identify necessary changes to the current sign ordinance and asked they suggest nominees for the committee.

“I don’t anticipate it being a long-term project,” Davolio said. “But we want local input before we bring something to the council.”