Visalia Historic District to get $13,000 facelift with new signage
Visalia's oldest neighborhoods and places will soon have new signs welcoming visitors and residents in an effort to boost awareness of the city's historical districts, which have suffered recent blows after a pair of fires and a controversial demolition.
The new signs will be affixed to existing street signs and utility poles in the district that includes areas north of Redwood High School and downtown, as well as neighborhoods surrounding Mt. Whitney High School. The project will encompass roughly 100 signs at an estimated cost of $13,000. The money will come from the city's general fund and was unanimously approved by the Visalia City Council.
The signs are expected to be installed by March .
"You'll now know when you're in the historic district because the street signs will be adorned with these new signs on top. It will identify the historic district that has somewhat gone unidentified over the years," said Walter Deissler, head of the Visalia Historic Preservation Advisory Committee.
"One of our goals is to have community outreach with residents and property owners in these neighborhoods; to let them know that they're in a historic district and work with them to improve the neighborhoods and preserve the buildings."
The signage follows a previous discussion between council members and the preservation committee. City leaders said they wanted prospective buyers in these neighborhoods to understand a few things prior to purchase. These properties are subject to heightened ordinances and permit procedures for renovations, repairs and other structural modifications.
Council members felt the public signage is a good way to accomplish that goal, Mayor Steve Nelsen said.
"These signs should give the public and potential homebuyers a better awareness that they're in a historical district; it's something the council fully supports," he said.
Irene Lapin, who owns a rental property in the district, wrote that she is "strongly opposed" to the cost of the signage, "especially during a time when the local economy has not yet recovered."
"Even if I felt the signs were a good idea, it's unfair to ask taxpayers to foot a bill this expensive for some barely readable [signs] where most Visalians don't reside," she wrote in her letter addressed to the city council.
Beyond new signage, city leaders are also in the process of reexamining ordinances to potentially give them more teeth while balancing homeowners' rights.
The discussion was prompted in part by the controversial demolition of the century-old Odel-Moor, believed to be Visalia's oldest apartment building. City officials were forced to approve the demolition after a six-month moratorium expired and a search for a new buyer was unsuccessful.
A pair of recent fires also destroyed some of Visalia's oldest homes — including a Court Street property built in 1857 by Michael Mooney, a prominent figure in Visalia's early history.
Diesler and Nelsen believe the signage will give the city more leeway to beef up those ordinances while bringing more awareness to Visalia's 150-year history.
"As long as the homebuyer knows what they're getting into, then it's a great idea. We're maintaining Visalia's history and character for future generations," Nelsen told the Times-Delta last month.
Joshua Yeager is a reporter with the Visalia Times-Delta and a Report for America corps member. He covers Tulare County news deserts with a focus on the environment and local governments.
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This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Visalia Historic District to get $13,000 facelift with new signage
