BAY MINETTE, Ala. – Locals know City Hall by the distinctive shallow bowl dome over the rotunda. Visitors to the county seat don’t have that knowledge and often miss the administrative center.

A new project aims to end that problem by adding a proper sign, complete with lighting and landscaping, in front of the building. The $10,000 project should be completed next week.

“There really was no sign on D’Olive Street letting people know where it is,” said Mayor Bob Wills. “It’s kind of hidden by trees. I’ve had folks from out of town drive right past us and say they couldn’t find us until they drove past and turned around.”

Discussions of better signage found a compassionate ear in Jason Padgett of North Baldwin Utilities. Wills said the utilities board quickly signed on the project, wanting to help financially.

“We got architect Todd Stewart, who is a local guy, to whip us up a design,” said Wills. “He spent a little more time making sure it matched the existing design of the building. And Kenneth Robinson, a local brick mason, did a great job.

“We try to use local people and local vendors whenever we can.”

The initial design called for a simple white centerpiece with black lettering spelling out Bay Minette City Hall. That idea was scrapped for a granite centerpiece with engraved lettering. The two pieces of granite were scheduled to arrive Wednesday and to be installed by today. The Bay Minette Beautification Committee met with the Mayor Tuesday afternoon to decide what plants needed to be placed in the island around the sign. They want the plants to compliment the other plantings around downtown.

The final step of the project will be completed Monday when Ammons and Blackmon repave the entrance. “That’s Monday, weather permitting,” said Wills.

Correcting a design flaw

Since the new sign would need electrical and water connections for lighting and irrigation, it meant that part of the asphalt parking lot would have to be dug up. That gave officials an opportunity to correct a problem.

The old entrance off D’Olive featured a very abrupt and sharp turn into the parking lot. Cars left the wide four-lane street to turn into a narrow one-lane entrance passage. The exit out of the parking lot had two narrow lanes to allow cars to turn east or west.

“Even for folks who live here, that entrance could sneak up on you and it was a hard turn,” said Wills. “So we centered the new island in the middle. There is one lane on each side, so each lane is wider that before. “It should be an easier turn in and out of city hall now.”