Ferndale's Wayfinding Signs Nearing Completion

Completion of the Wayfinding project is expected by the end of July, Ferndale Downtown Development Authority Director Cristina Sheppard-Decius said.

There are about 10 signs left that need to be installed.

The Wayfinding project, initiated to help visitors find their way around downtown Ferndale, put up signs offering directions to , the , the , parking and other destinations. The project will install maps around town, as well.

Sheppard-Decius said workers had hit a snag with some foundation issues that had to do with electrical, but she said those issues have been addressed. Some of the signs and the maps will light up, she said.

"There are some things we are addressing immediately. ... The game plan is to have them competed by the end of July," she said.

Sheppard-Decius told Ferndale Patch in May that the project began in 2006 after consultants determined there was a lack of directional signs in the area.

“They were already recommending something we knew we needed to look at and put on our hit list to get done,” she said.

The cost of the project is $240,000, half of which is paid for by a Preserve America grant from the National Park Service. Ferndale received the grant last August under the condition that the funds would be matched by the city.

Sheppard-Decius said the remaining balance is paid from city contributions of $20,000 and DDA funds, including a $10,000 staff value and a $55,000 contribution from the DDA fund. The remainder of the required match is contributed in the form of volunteer hours, valued at $35,000.

As part of the program, 100 historical plaques will be placed throughout the city, along with 10 historical markers in the downtown area featuring Ferndale “fun facts,” information on landmarks and developments.

Sheppard-Decius said she hopes the history lessons enlighten and entertain Ferndale residents. “When we share that with people, they’re kind of amazed, like, ‘Wow, that’s my hometown. I didn’t know that,’ ” she said.

Read more about the Wayfinding project .