Worrying signs

John Houghton with the original design for the proposed kilometremarkers. A committee of council rejected the proposal by a wide margin last week.

Council turns down proposal for marathon kilometre markers

It seemed like the finish line was within sight. But just as organizers of the County Marathon figured they had won enough support for permanent kilometre-makers along the race route, council tackled them from behind.

In May a committee of council expressed some reservations about the County Marathon’s plan to erect permanent signs marking each kilometre of the fall event. It is part of the regulations as a Boston Marathon qualifying event that the race course be marked in this way. In past years temporary kilometre markers have been erected a couple days in advance and removed after the race.

The volunteer event organizers had hoped to distinguish this event and help raise much needed revenue by selling small ads beneath each marker.

John Houghton presented the plan to council with a mockup. He felt the idea had been generally wellreceived.

Picton Councillor Bev Campbell asked Houghton if there was some flexibility. He said there was. Hallowell Councillor Keith MacDonald said it was a good idea and applauded the innovative thinking.

Council asked its staff to look at the plan and report back. In its report to council last week, staff was generally supportive of the proposal. In talks with Houghton’s staff persuaded the County Marathon to drop the advertising part of the plan.

In his report to Council Roads Chief Robert MacAuley noted the signs were similar in size and presentation as those used by Taste the County, the Taste Trail and other marker signs.

He noted, as well, that “having a marked measured rally route in the County has the additional advantage of being usable by other race groups, practising athletes and cyclist organizations.”

He anticipated that as other groups used the marked trail, his department could focus resources on the route, rather than scattered along the 700 kilometres of roads in the County.

But Council could see none of the potential benefit— and only a bad precedent and possible visual pollution. A committee of council quashed Houghton’s proposal by a wide margin.