CLINTON — It looks as if the beloved landmark sign at the Clinton ferry landing will continue welcoming visitors to Whidbey Island.
Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson announced Tuesday that the county public works staff has worked out a tentative deal with state Department of Transportation officials to leave the 17-year-old hand-carved, hand-painted cedar welcome sign where it is.
A new Whidbey Scenic Isle Way gateway monument is scheduled to be installed later this month nearby the old “Welcome to Whidbey” sign, Johnson said. The exact site for the new monument will be determined when state and county officials and the project’s contractor get together in a few weeks, she said.
A group called Save Our Sign had organized in September when it was announced that the old sign was to be moved up the hill from the ferry dock to make way for the new gateway monument. Save Our Sign members argued that the fragile old sign wouldn’t survive a move and that its rotting parts could be easily repaired at the sign’s current location.
The gateway monument project has been in the works since 2006. Gateway monuments also are scheduled to be built at Deception Pass and the Keystone ferry landing. Each was individually designed to reflect the scenic beauty of Whidbey Island, Johnson said.
The project has a $98,000 federal grant administered by the state Department of Transportation. The permits have been obtained and the contracts are signed, Johnson said. This follows a process that included public hearings, a public comment period, a volunteer committee and local donations.
“The county had few options when people finally raised their concerns. We couldn’t backtrack on all the work that had been done. It would have been too costly,” she said. “The solution was not clearly evident, but now it looks like we have a win for our community.”
Save Our Sign member Ed Jenkins agrees.
“We’re very happy,” he said. “The sign was there when I moved here, and it’s an icon. People love the sign.”
The effort to repair the old sign is the next project for the Save Our Sign people, Jenkins said.
Instead of protesting at a public meeting on the monument project scheduled by Johnson on Thursday, Jenkins plans to applaud the county commissioner.
“Helen really worked with us,” he said.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
To learn more
More information about the Whidbey Scenic Isle Way project and the old Welcome to Whidbey sign will be available at a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Clinton Community Hall, Highway 525 and Humphrey Road. Call 360-679-7354.
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