Image showing four sides of informational kiosk proposed by the Rotary Club of North Penn that could be installed in downtown Lansdale in 2024.
2024 could bring a new landmark to downtown Lansdale, thanks to a local group looking to mark a big birthday.
Borough council heard details in September on a proposed info kiosk the Rotary Club of North Penn has in the works.
“In 2024, it will be 100 years that we’ve been in the North Penn area. We were thinking of something really interesting, to present to the borough,” said Rotary Club Treasurer Tammy Skiermont.
In 2005, Skiermont told the council’s parks and recreation committee on Sept. 6, the Rotary Club helped fundraise and donate for a band shell at Whites Road Park, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the international Rotary organization. 2024 will be the borough chapter’s birthday, Skiermont said, and the club’s board members came up with the idea of an informational kiosk, to be located at Railroad Plaza between the town’s train station and Santa House.
As she showed a small model to the committee, Skiermont gave the specs: the kiosk would be roughly 8 feet tall, with each of the four sides being 4 feet wide and 4 feet long, with a roughly 5-foot-by-5-food concrete pad below. Three of the four sides would have panels for informational displays, with the fourth side having an access door to reach the inside, and electricity would be connected to a panel within, to allow for illumination of some of the displays for those walking by, while being far enough back to not block any sightlines for drivers.
“It does not look like this location would impede any vehicular traffic, turning or heading west on Main Street, or turning right onto Madison,” Skiermont said.
The structure would be made of weather-resistant siding, with message boards that lock and are designed to be low-maintenance, she added. The Rotary side would display info about the club and its events — like a shredding event and canned food drive slated for Nov. 4 — while the borough and/or its event nonprofit Discover Lansdale could house a map, and/or info about their other events in the other sides.
“Where people are coming off of the train, I know everybody has a phone, but it’s a nice visual: ‘Welcome to Lansdale, here’s what we offer, here are the things we do here in this town,'” Skiermont said.
The local Rotary chapter plans to apply to their national organization for grant funds to offset the costs, but “whether we get approved or not, our club will gladly foot the bill,” she added, so the only help from the borough would be assistance with permits and approvals. Club members would oversee the building and maintenance of the kiosk and its messages, and borough staff have said the needed electrical infrastructure already exists nearby, while both borough staff and Rotary would have keys.
“We would be happy to if at some point you say ‘Hey, we could use some cleanup around this,’ we would be happy to do that,” she said.
How soon could the kiosk go in? Skiermont said she hopes to have approvals done by early 2024 and apply for the grant funding on or around March 30, with the goal of starting construction later that summer and unveiling the finished kiosk by late fall of that year.
Parks committee chairwoman Mary Fuller asked how secure the kiosk would be, and Rotary Club board member John Geers said it would likely have a plain steel door, bolted when not in use, to keep it secure from any unwanted visitors. Fuller asked if the idea was inspired by an earlier display sign installed by what was then called the “Lansdale Merchants Association” and removed in 2017, and Skiermont said in part it was.
“This seemed to be the most popular (idea) among our board, and we made the same presentation to our club members as well, who all love it,” she said.
Rotary Club President Will Liegel added that he recently visited Ambler and saw similar signs pointing out landmarks and listing events there, and recently visited Dorney Park but did not need to rely on his phone due to signage there.
“It seemed to be very, very successful in Ambler, and an idea we could borrow and bring here,” he said.
Fuller added that she was thankful to the club for their efforts so far, and looked forward to hearing feedback from the public and council as talks continue ahead of a final approval.
“I really do applaud you for thinking of us, and 18 months out? I’m impressed,” Fuller said.
Lansdale’s borough council next meets at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 with the parks and recreation committee starting at 7:30 p.m., both at the borough municipal building, 1 Vine Street. For more information visit www.Lansdale.org.
This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.
See also:
Towamencin Supervisors Approve Attorney Hire for Sewer Suit
Renovations on Former Saint Luke’s UCC Church in North Wales Could Start in October
Montgomery Township Board of Supervisors Adopts Single-Use Plastic Reduction Ordinance
Towamencin Supervisors Vote Down Sewer Sale Mailer
Upper Gwynedd’s Pennbrook Parkway Debate Continues, with Eyes on Lansdale
