Belmont Shore is inching toward replacing its decades-old wooden entryway sign as the neighborhood’s parking commission works toward securing funds for two new signs to greet visitors to the corridor.

The process to replace the termite-infested sign has been years in the making, but has ramped up over the past few months.

The Belmont Shore Parking and Business Improvement Area Advisory Commission, which regulates parking rates in the area and directs those revenues toward improvements along the corridor, seems to have landed on a design to replace the “old and tired” sign that has become a “buffet for termites.”

While a design hasn’t been formally approved, the commission has expressed unanimous support for one rendering and has signaled that it would like to get the project completed while the current City Council is in office. New members of the council will be sworn into office in December.

Commissioner Ryan Hoffman presented the likely design, a 22-foot-tall pole with LED letters spelling out “Welcome to Belmont Shore,” at the commission’s May 19 meeting. The design is meant to resemble the historic streetlights throughout Belmont Heights, and if approved, they could be installed at the north and south entrances to Belmont Shore.

“To give it a real identity that you’re kind of entering an area that’s different from the rest of Long Beach, which I think was kind of our goal,” Hoffman said.

The current design features a red flag at the top of the post and blue lettering that will be lit up for visitors traveling into Belmont Shore on 2nd Street from the east and west.

Hoffman said that a rough estimate for the signs could put the cost at about $40,000 per sign, but a final price has not been determined.

Matt Peterson, co-owner of Legends Sports Bar and chair of the commission, said Thursday that there has been some community interest to backfill any deficit for the project through crowdfunding.

“There’s lots of potential to push this project forward in a positive fashion,” Peterson said.

The commission could get help with funding if the City Council approves parking meter rate increases that would go into effect in July. The 50-cent hourly increase should boost the commission’s ability to fund projects like the new signage.

Parking meter revenue has been slowly rebounding since the pandemic hit and a combination of the rate increase and the city ending the temporary parklet program in the coming weeks could further boost those numbers because more parking spaces will be freed up.

Long Beach started a process of overhauling the gateway signage and way-finding signs in 2015 when a proposal to bring more cohesion to the city’s signs was advanced by the council.

New signs were installed Downtown and at the city’s entry points with the new approved patriotic color scheme and minimalist design, something that was rejected by Belmont Shore residents for lacking character.

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