DOWNERS GROVE – New gateway signs along major thoroughfares throughout Downers Grove are a little closer to becoming a reality after the village council agreed on a basic design concept at Tuesday's meeting.

The village wants to replace the outdated signs with modern ones that welcome travelers to the community, and are simple and easy to read.

"We began by establishing characteristics for gateway signs and determined they should be timeless, not too contemporary, and should evoke our Downers Grove heritage," said village Communications Director Douglas Kozlowski.

The 2015 budget has allotted $100,000 for new signs, according to Village Manager David Fieldman. Additional signs would be added over multiple years. While specific locations have yet to be determined, the village would ultimately have 10 new signs.

Kozlowski said that in creating gateway signs, village staff searched iconic places in the community for inspiration.

"Main Street train station features Chicago red brick that is also featured in streets in the community, and the Morningside Square condo development and Acadia on the Green," he said. "It is a strong iconic image within the community."

Sears homes were another suggested motif from village staff, he said.

The red brick and the Sears style of wide front porch columns were incorporated into the new designs.

Building Division Manager Alex Pellicano presented several design options from staff, including font styles, justification, small monument designs, placard colors and village logo use.

One Craftsman-style design resembled a realtor sign, with a solitary stone obelisk-shaped column and an outrigger beam that supported a sign with a curved top.

Another design was in the monument style and resembled a front porch, with a brick base supported by obelisk columns and a curved sign hanging from a beam between them.

Pellicano said the "Welcome to Downers Grove" lettering could be backlit so the letters were visible at night. Another option was ground lighting with light shining onto the sign.

The village logo was also incorporated on some of the design images.

"I do like the logo with 'established in 1832,'" Commissioner Geoff Neustadt said. "It is an important part of our history."

The size of the logo on some of the designs, however, raised concerns.

"I have concerns about the logo because of the size," said Commissioner Greg Hose. "Is there a way we can shrink the tree logo?"

Mayor Martin Tully said he would like to see the logo evoked in the design, but had a different focus on the proposed signs overall.

"We can incorporate the logo look in a way that evokes the logo but it is not the actual logo," Tully said. "We need to focus on the frame because that is where the money is."

The value of the signs should be a consistent branded message throughout the village in a way that properly reflects the community, he said.

Fieldman said different features come at different price points, but he would need approval from the council to move the process forward and have a mock-up designed for four gateway signs at $25,000 per sign.

The council agreed on the red brick monument style sign for further development.

"It doesn't lock us into anything," Fieldman said.

The council would see and approve designs before implementation, he said.

Fieldman said it would take about 60 days to return to council with the revised designs.