By Mark Cowling
Casa Grande Dispatch
Come to historic downtown Florence; you’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the electric multicolor bulletin board.
By a vote of 5-2, the Town Council on Dec. 3 approved a new monument sign that would display electronic messages. It’ll be located on the northeast corner of Main Street and Butte Avenue.
The “no” votes came from Vice Mayor Tom Smith and Ruben Montaño.
“We have to go by the codes we have,” which prohibit digital signs in the historic district, Smith said. Montaño noted the sign will be blocked partially by a traffic light pole. The sign will be 61⁄2 feet tall and will include an electronic message area that is 3 feet, 3 inches tall and 7 feet, 6 inches wide. Town staff chose the sign from among other options that included larger and smaller electronic message areas or reader boards. The town also had the option of an illuminated sign with the words “Historic Downtown Florence Arizona,” a silhouette of the old courthouse tower and no additional bulletin area.
The new sign will appear as part of the new National Bank of Arizona building, and the bank will share in the cost of the sign.
Mayor Tom Rankin asked what the sign will cost the town. Florence Community Development Director Mark Eckhoff replied that the final cost isn’t known, but “in the ball park of a wild guess,” it could be $10,000 to $15,000.
Town Manager Himanshu Patel said if the cost exceeds $25,000 it would come back to the council for approval, according to town policy.
