Washougal Business Association head proposes new wayfinding kiosk

In 2019, Paul Greenlee traveled to Windsor, California, with his wife for a wine-tasting vacation. One of the first things he noticed upon arriving in the Russian River Valley town was its wayfinding sign, composed of 18 smaller, brightly-colored signs featuring the names of local businesses (salons, restaurants, toys, real estate, etc.) and arrows pointing to the left or right.

Windsor’s sign, in Greenlee’s opinion, is vastly superior to Washougal’s signs, which sit on the sides of Washougal River Road and 32nd Street, between “A” Street and Main Street. In fact, he believes that every one of the wayfinding signs he’s ever seen are better than his city’s.

“I’ve traveled all over the country, (and) I’m always looking at different cities for, ‘How do they do it? Are they better at it than we are?’” Greenlee said during the Washougal City Council’s workshop session on July 22. “And between you and me and the fence post, (ours) is the worst wayfinding sign I’ve ever seen anywhere.”

To make up for the sign’s perceived shortcomings, Greenlee, the president of the Washougal Business Association (WBA) and a former Washougal City Council member, proposed the construction of a “welcome kiosk” at the Main Street Pocket Park on the southeast corner of Main Street and Washougal River Road, south of the AMPM convenience store.

“I went out with a tape (measure),” he said. “It’s a little over 100 feet long and 40 feet wide from the sidewalk to the hedge lines, but I think the property goes way beyond that.”