In a continuing conversation with local civic clubs, the LaGrange City Council asked City Manager Meg Kelsey to say “no” to a request to mount civic club logos onto the “Welcome to LaGrange” sign on Lafayette Parkway. 

In October, the LaGrange City Council agreed to a request from Rotary Club President Susan Ferguson on behalf of local civic clubs to place signage on city property on the corner of Lafayette Parkway and Davis Road on the condition that it match the recently installed wayfinding signs. Ferguson said that she has been working to update civic club signage since April, and she hopes that new signs will encourage visitors to come to club meetings. However, she said the initial cost estimate for the sign proved cost prohibitive for the clubs.

“[The approval] would let the civic clubs at their cost put a sign up that had the civic club logos on it,” Mayor Jim Thornton said. “The request came back [asking] would we consider allowing them to mount those signs on the brick monument sign there, the ‘Welcome to LaGrange’ monument sign. Obviously, this is a cost issue. It would be a lot cheaper for them if we let them mount their logos on the brick sign.”

The city council viewed a sample sign from Peachtree City that was submitted with the request. However, several council members said that they worried about the impact of attaching metal signs to the monument in terms of both possible damage to the monument and visual clutter.

“If there are only five or 10 of them, they could probably make it look good, but if there are 50 of them, there is no way to make it look [good],” Council Member Jim Arrington said.

Thornton questioned the idea of drilling into the brick, while other council members shared Arrington’s concern.

“The point of this [updated sign ordinance] is to eradicate the clutter, and now we are going to clutter the ‘Welcome to LaGrange’ sign?” Council Member LeGree McCamey asked.

Council Member Nathan Gaskin asked about the price of the signage, and Kelsey said that she could look into it. Ferguson said that she is currently waiting for an updated quote that she hopes will reduce the price enough to make the sign affordable for the nonprofit clubs.

“We want people to know that we are here,” Ferguson said. “Rotary is very focused on community service and serving others and helping others. We would love for even visiting Rotarians that come in to know that we have a viable club here, and we’d love to have them join us.”

Ferguson said that she has spoken to members of the Kiwaniis Club of LaGrange, the LaGrange Optimist Club, the LaGrange Lions Club and Rotary Club of LaGrange regarding putting up a new sign “if it can be done for a reasonable price,” but other clubs may step forward who wish to be on the sign as well.

“I thought if we could get [the sign], I would call the other ones that are on the current sign on Hogansville Road,” Ferguson said.