Roadside Sign
I had long wanted to stamp the Kauri Trees property with a sign declaring its future. Clutha District Council by-laws restricted the maximum size, so I applied and received a concession.
As part of my application I received the consent of my Taieri Beach Road neighbours, and submitted the application to Council. My application included a request to install 10 signs, all the way along the roadside. The purpose was to clearly mark the boundaries of the Kauri forest. The Planning Officer at Council explained to me that the permitted size was 3 square metres, in total area! It was not possible to install a jigsaw puzzle of signs that collectively exceeded the permitted size maximum. So 10 over-sized signs was definitely out. Once that was explained to me, I understood the rationale. The second limitation was about visibility to drivers. It was unacceptable for a sign to surprise a driver once she rounded a corner. Enough clear roadway was required so a driver could absorb the message without being distracted from driving.
I had applied for signs that were 6 square metres. Clutha District Council approved a single sign, with the concessional size I requested. They gave me four location options. In acknowledgement that the trees I’m planting would obscure the sign over time, I was permitted to install one sign now, a second sign in 5 years time, and a third sign in 10 years time. The timeframes were a surprise, but at least I could declare the property.
Most billboard type signs used computer-cut vinyl letters, adhered to the substrate. I wanted a painted sign that would be more durable than vinyl and enable touch-ups in the future. I chose Barnes Signs to paint the sign. Greg Barnes’ family had a property in Taieri Mouth, so he is a local, even though he is now living and working in Dunedin. I measured out the sign (3 m x 1.83 m) on the floor before selecting the size, but it wasn’t until Greg sent me a photo of him standing alongside the sign, that I realised how big it was.
I wanted a metal frame, rather than treated pine posts. I thought a metal frame would look less obtrusive and be more durable. Greg was aware of the winds in the exposed hills, and designed a 50 mm x 50 mm frame that should be strong enough not to yield. Metalworks Otago built the frame and had it galvanised in Christchurch. I arranged with Glen Riley from Habitat Restorations Aotearoa to load the frame onto his trailer and take it to Taieri Beach. When we got to Metalworks Otago, it was clear that the frame was too large for the trailer and too heavy to lift. I opted for a truck with a hoist to move and maneuver the frame.
Fairfield Transport‘s Damien Rowe was slick and professional. When we arrived at site, we ended up closing the road during the unloading, but no traffic came so all was good.
Greg Barnes had brought the sign panels separately on his trailer. These were glued and screwed to the frame.
Erecting the sign was a problem on the day. It was cold and windy, with gusts up to 65 kph, so it would have been too dangerous to try to lift the sign up, even with four people, including my neighbour Dave Slater. We opted to wait for a couple of days for calm weather.
Glen Riley was back again (for the third time) with his auger to drill the holes. Two locals, Stan Taylor and Brian Simpson were also on-hand to help. Stan is Greg’s friend, and Brian had come over in the morning to collect some of the eucalyptus wood for firewood earlier in the morning.
Glen did a great job drilling the holes. I had prepared a bag of stones to drop down the holes to help get the sign horizontal, but after we slipped the legs in, no adjustment was needed. Stan had used the quick-setting concrete before. It was supposed to set in 15 minutes, but within 5 minutes, I could feel the sign was firm. It’s great concrete for this type of job, but you only get one chance to get it right.
I am so thankful to my friends and neighbours for repeat visits (like Glen and Stan), and for giving up their Sunday afternoon to help get the sign up.
The video installing the sign is KT023, which can be viewed here or on the Kauri Trees YouTube channel.
24 May 2024