Downtown Electronic Sign Approved at Lesser Cost

After hitting a snag, plans for an in downtown Kent are back on track.

voted recently to approve a plan that shows the city spending $50,000 and partnering with on the electronic sign, which will stand at the intersection of Haymaker Parkway and South Water Street.

Council voted this month to approve the plan just two weeks after voting down a proposal that called for the city and university to spend $70,000 each on the sign. The agreement also called for banking $4,800 a year to pay for maintenance of the sign.

Kent City Councilman Wayne Wilson said he voted at council's June 20 meeting to approve the sign because the cost had been scaled back to the original $50,000 budget council had set for the project several years earlier, and the annual $4,800 maintenance budget had been removed.

"I’m not OK with having the sign in that location any way, but council approved it," Wilson said. "And I’m not one to vote against it just because I didn’t get my way. I accept that. Majority rules."

The sign will stand at the northeast corner of the intersection with the new and as a backdrop. The sign is intended to advertise non-profit community and university events.

At the first June meeting, Kent City Manager Dave Ruller said plans for the sign — and its cost — had to match the style of the redevelopment project behind it.

Councilwoman Tracy Wallach cast the only vote against approving the plan to spend $50,000. She could not be reached for comment.

Wilson said he opposed the sign initially because of its location at a busy intersection.

"I think it could cause problems for people trying to read the sign and not watching where they’re going," he said.