RFP Staff
♦ Yesterday at the Rowan County Commission meeting Chairman Greg Edds unveiled his and Jim Green’s proposed entry signs for I-85’s two entrances (North and South) into Rowan County. Had Edds studied aesthetics at his alma mater Bob Jones University? His proposed signs certainly were eye-catching. Were they inspired by Six Flags Amusement Park? Or some other form of garishness?
A Six Flags Amusement Park:
Edds alleges that Rock Hill’s sign is his inpriation for Rowan’s two proposed signs:
Edds’s Proposed sign rendered by architect Bill Bergin:
Greg Edds wrote on Facebook yesterday: “Three reasons to build these signs. 1) Passers by will see these signs and may be inclined to stop HERE for gas, food, lodging. 2) When companies are traveling to Rowan during an economic development visit, there’s no doubt that they will remember us, and 3) We, as Rowan residents, really need to begin to believe in ourselves and start thinking better of ourselves. There’s a lot we have to work on for our community to get better, but it certainly won’t hurt if we start thinking more highly of ourselves.
These signs aren’t cheap. They will run about $325,000 each. Vice Chairman Greene and I have spent the last couple of weeks raising private sector support to offset those costs and as of today have raised about $171,000 toward the cost of the first sign. The remainder of the cost will come out of new sales tax revenues that the state requires we spend on economic development. Advertising falls under that category and these will certainly be advertising Rowan!
We will build the first sign just south of the southbound lane of the Yadkin River Bridge. Right as you come off the bridge heading south the sign will be on the right. The southern sign will be built after construction completed on I-85.”
It appears quite a bit of money was frittered away on county rebranding and now two vanity signs. Sadly Rowan County has enormous barriers to economic development. Horrific schools, violent crime, lack of employment, and soaring poverty in Salisbury the county seat.
We don’t doubt people traveling on I-85 will comment: “Holy Cow, who are these people?” when they enter Rowan. They may be more curious about whoever was behind putting up these signs.
