City May Carve History in Stone and Build Imperial Beach History Walk in Park

History may soon be engraved in stone at Imperial Beach's Veterans Park.

In a March City Council meeting city staff asked City Councilmembers to consider the concept of an "Imperial Beach History Walk" in walkways surrounding the park.

In contrast to city council approved aboveground entry kiosks in 2006, Imperial Beach citizens can learn city history as they travel the park's perimeter.

The concept for the freestanding signs is similar to the kiosk sign at the end of Elm Avenue overlooking the ocean and the pier that the Port of San Diego installed.

Public Works Director Hank Levien said in the meeting attempts to install other kiosks was suspended due to lack of funding. City Manager Gary Brown proposed the History Walk as part of a program to improve Veterans Park.

"Mr. Levien has studied this, and in a recent trip to Colorado he saw a different type of signage in the walkways," Brown said. "City staff would like to discuss his idea with council as a possible way to show not only the history of the park, but also of the region."  

Levien said original plans were to have the same look as the kiosk sign at the end of Elm Street.

"What I saw while I was in Denver was an interesting idea, a lot less expensive and a less visible obstruction in the park," he said. "A set of insets in the sidewalk. It was called the Colorado History Walk."

Levien said it walked through history over a number of years and denoted specific events that were historically important to the state of Colorado. He said taking that thought, staff took the Imperial Beach's 50th anniversary history book "IB: A Pictorial History" and considered applying the same idea to IB.

"This is not what we are advocating, but it gives you something to chew on," said Levien.

"You have a perimeter going around Veterans Park," said Levien. "Most of the walkway is eight feet wide. You could potentially lay out a walkway that goes all around and up to the north end of the park."
Preliminary cost for one engraved concrete band is about $1,500-precast.

The idea would to be to cut out a section of the existing sidewalk and install 10 concrete bands. This informational signage would eliminate the need for more above ground kiosks.

Janney said the idea brought forward was great and he was never personally a big fan of the kiosk design. He said Veterans Park is the city's central park and this idea is a good conversational piece.

"I think it is a cost we have to be very careful of," said Janney" "I think the idea of a council sub-committee to work with staff is very good. Realize that we want to set a limit. Someone could get very visionary and we could easily go over cost."

Councilwoman Lorie Bragg suggested the city invite historian Freda Adams, who wrote a history of IB in the 1970s, to council to take part in narrowing down what 10 events in the city's history should be included. Bragg offered her support and said Adams was willing to work with sub-committee.

"We can get pulled in a lot of directions on what the history goes in," said Mayor Janney. "I know that Adams had a lot of input of what went into the history book. The way I look at it is that the council supports this idea."

Ten cement inlays will cost approximately $15,000, minus installation, while standup kiosks cost around $2,500. Janney suggested a budget of $20,000 towards this type of signage.

"I think this is the direction we should be going in. We have a brass plaque for the Veterans Park," he said. "I would like to see that installed as well."

Councilman Jim King suggested the city consider similar types of concrete signage on Seacoast Drive as informational signs pointing to the estuary and different places in Imperial Beach.

"I like this idea of putting this in concrete. The longevity of this far surpasses of anything put above ground," he said. "I would like to see the continuance of this idea on Seacoast Drive as well."

Janney appointed a sub-committee consisting of Councilwoman Bragg and Mayor Pro Temp Brian Bilbray in conjunction with Adams. He said things like art become complicated when too many people are involved. City Manager Gary Brown, Bilbray and Bragg would be the public representatives that can personally get ample public comment towards the project.

"Adams has been the unofficial historian and I would hope to have her work with you on this," he said.  "It brings a broader scope of what you can bring in as history. Specifically to those items of history that are important."

Janney said $20,000 in cost is good, but $12,000 or $13,000 would be better. He directed the sub-committee to work with city staff and Adams to bring proposals back to council.