Carlsbad Sign Lighting – The New Gateway to Carlsbad
The New Gateway to Carlsbad – Carlsbad Sign Lighting
The Carlsbad sign lighting was a big hit. Carlsbad’s newly installed gateway sign didn’t literally stop traffic, but it did wow plenty of passers-by who stopped to admire the new landmark and snap photos with their cell phones.
The sign, which spans Carlsbad Boulevard near Carlsbad Village Drive, was inspired by a similar archway that stood in the area in the 1930s.
The sign is the brainchild of Carlton Lund, a real estate agent and former chairman of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. He said he got the idea 14 years ago when he attended the dedication of Encinitas’ gateway sign.
“The day after, I started the campaign,” Lund said. “It was part of my Midwest roots, where every town has a sign. I felt that Carlsbad had to have one, especially on historic Highway 101.”Lund said he’s done some research but hasn’t been able to find out what happened to the original sign or when it was taken down.
The new sign stretches about 82 feet across the street and stand 29 feet tall. It features the city’s name in bold white letters on a blue background, with thin beige and black accents. At night, neon will light up the beige border and LED lights will illuminate the white letters that spell Carlsbad. The carlsbad sign-lighting was a celebration for the city.
Lund hopes people will help pay for the sign’s maintenance and electricity by dropping donations in a “kindness meter” that will be installed nearby.
“The city will never have to pay a dime,” Lund said. “I want this to be the citizens’ sign.”
He said he would like the cities down the coast to have similar signs but he said he would not be spearheading any more efforts.
Earlier this month, hundreds of people attended a dedication ceremony for a sign in Barrio Logan at the intersection of Cesar Chavez Parkway and Main Street. That sign is nearly 80 feet long and 42 feet tall with Aztec, Mayan and Kumeyaay motifs.
Lund said the Carlsbad sign is in a spot where people will be able to photograph it easily. The intersection at Carlsbad Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive has a pedestrian scramble that allows people to walk diagonally through the intersection.
Sandy Lund, Carlton’s wife, said the sign will also act as a gateway to the city.
“People always tell me that when they’re driving down Highway 101 no one knows where Oceanside ends and where Carlsbad starts,” she said. The sign makes clear that visitors are indeed in Carlsbad, she added.
The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce managed the design and construction of the sign. The TaylorMade Golf Company funded the construction and installation, which cost $225,000, Lund said. Visit Carlsbad to see what all the talk about the Carlsbad sign lighting is all about.
“The day after, I started the campaign,” Lund said. “It was part of my Midwest roots, where every town has a sign. I felt that Carlsbad had to have one, especially on historic Highway 101.”Lund said he’s done some research but hasn’t been able to find out what happened to the original sign or when it was taken down.
The new sign stretches about 82 feet across the street and stand 29 feet tall. It features the city’s name in bold white letters on a blue background, with thin beige and black accents. At night, neon will light up the beige border and LED lights will illuminate the white letters that spell Carlsbad. The carlsbad sign-lighting was a celebration for the city.
Lund hopes people will help pay for the sign’s maintenance and electricity by dropping donations in a “kindness meter” that will be installed nearby.
“The city will never have to pay a dime,” Lund said. “I want this to be the citizens’ sign.”
He said he would like the cities down the coast to have similar signs but he said he would not be spearheading any more efforts.
Earlier this month, hundreds of people attended a dedication ceremony for a sign in Barrio Logan at the intersection of Cesar Chavez Parkway and Main Street. That sign is nearly 80 feet long and 42 feet tall with Aztec, Mayan and Kumeyaay motifs.
Lund said the Carlsbad sign is in a spot where people will be able to photograph it easily. The intersection at Carlsbad Boulevard and Carlsbad Village Drive has a pedestrian scramble that allows people to walk diagonally through the intersection.
Sandy Lund, Carlton’s wife, said the sign will also act as a gateway to the city.
“People always tell me that when they’re driving down Highway 101 no one knows where Oceanside ends and where Carlsbad starts,” she said. The sign makes clear that visitors are indeed in Carlsbad, she added.
The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce managed the design and construction of the sign. The TaylorMade Golf Company funded the construction and installation, which cost $225,000, Lund said. Visit Carlsbad to see what all the talk about the Carlsbad sign lighting is all about.