New details are being finalized in the La Jolla Village Merchants Association’s effort to install two dozen directional banners on light poles throughout The Village to point people to key spots in town, though a formal design and a timeline for the installation have not been confirmed.
On June 10, the LJVMA board approved a list of locations for the banners and reviewed three sets of early renderings.
Association Executive Director Jodi Rudick said 24 locations were proposed for the signs, most of them on Girard Avenue and Prospect Street, with some on Silverado Street and on Cave Street near La Jolla Cove.
After an initial review, directional, or “wayfinding,” information to help lead pedestrians to sites such as the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, La Jolla post office and La Jolla Recreation Center were added to the banners, Rudick said, along with things such as the La Jolla Open Aire Market, bus stops and the beach.
Rudick said a “You are here” sticker also will be on each banner.
“They are going to be placed about 10 feet up on the existing light poles,” Rudick said. “We have been working with a design engineer to make sure they are legible.”
A map shows approved locations for the La Jolla Village Merchants Association’s “wayfinding” banner program. (Photo by Ashley Mackin-Solomon)
Though Rudick distributed three design options, she cautioned the board not to “get too hung up on the design [because] we are actually still finalizing them.”
The locations and preliminary design options got unanimous support from the board.
Going forward, the board plans to set aside additional funds for maintenance or to update the signs as needed.
“Because they are up 365 days a year, we know they can fade,” Rudick said. “So we are planning to purchase three sets of them … and I think that will really help.”
The idea of directional signs in La Jolla has been in the works in various iterations since 2015. Previous concepts included posting signs throughout The Village in various sizes and types or painting utility boxes or wrapping them in vinyl with directional messages. Those ideas fizzled.
San Diego County awarded $20,000 to LJVMA in 2022 to help with its program, plus a $25,000 Neighborhood Reinvestment Program grant to pay for the next phase in the 2024 fiscal year.
In February 2023, the board approved a design and budgeted about $2,000 per sign, allowing for 10 signs as a start.
In April 2023, LJVMA approved a contract with Integrated Signs for a list of locations focused on the coast and Scripps Park to direct visitors to The Village.
But the project hit several snags, and at the end of 2024, the board said its intent was to complete the project in 2025. However, no updates were provided last year.
Besides the wayfinding program, the board says there will be another change to Village banners.
Earlier this month, the Rotary Club of La Jolla contributed $4,000 to LJVMA to buy banners featuring American flag-inspired imagery to be hung in July to commemorate Independence Day. The banners will be hung during July every year.
Other LJVMA news
Resignation: Recently elected board member Alysha Murillo is no longer working in The Village and therefore had to resign from the group, according to board member Bill Podway. Murillo was elected in March and sworn in in April.
Rudick said the board would look at any applications and fill that seat next month. She encouraged people who have an active business tax certificate in The Village or can send a delegate from their business to submit an application.
Next meeting: The La Jolla Village Merchants Association next meets at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, at the La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave. The agenda will be posted in advance at lajollabythesea.com. ♦