ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. – The Township today marked a milestone when it installed the first Robbinsville gateway sign at its western border with Hamilton Township on Route 33.
GATEWAY GREETINGS: Area officials marked the installation of new signage at Robbinsville gateways on May 26, 2010, an important milestone following the official change of the Township’s name from Washington. From left are, Township Business Administrator/Engineer Tim McGough, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried, Councilwoman Chris Ciaccio, Councilwoman Sheree McGowan, Mercer County Freeholder John Cimino, and artist Larry Plummer of Design Works of Hillsborough, who created the six signs.
The occasion, celebrated by Mayor Dave Fried, members of Township Council and invited guests, started the process of removing old “Washington Township” signs at six Township gateways. The old signs will be replaced with signs that bear the new Robbinsville Township logo and tagline, “Be At the Center of It All.”
“Gateway signs are important. They help Robbinsville establish an identity, both for the people who live here and for those who come here to work, shop or dine at one of our restaurants,” said Mayor Dave Fried. “These signs will help visitors find what they are looking for here in Robbinsville. They help delivery people find store locations, and they put our community on the radar screen, making us more visible.”
“This changeover has been a goal of the business community for some time, and I am glad to see it happening,” Mayor Fried said.
Voters overwhelmingly approved changing the municipality’s name from Washington Township to Robbinsville in November 2007. The change took full effect on January 1, 2008. At the time of the change, the township was one of seven in New Jersey named Washington, plus one Washington Borough. The closest Robbinsville is in North Carolina.
Mayor Fried and Council members promised at the time to phase in new signage and logos on Township vehicles to control costs.
FINALLY, IT’S ROBBINSVILLE: The name changed from Washington Township on January 1, 2008, but it’s taken time for the new “brand” to work its way on to gateway signage. After Wednesday, May 26, 2010, there’s no doubt for travelers along Rout 33 that they’ve reached Robbinsville. At the border are Councilwoman Chris Ciaccio, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, Mercer County Freeholder John Cimino, Councilwoman Sheree McGowan and Township Business Administrator/Engineer Tim McGough.
Robbinsville’s gateway signage features the distinctive logo and tagline, “Be At the Center of It All,” which was developed in a branding process with the Township’s Economic Development Advisory Committee. That process included resident feedback at the 2008 Community Day, to ensure that the symbol and tagline reflected both economic development goals and community values, Fried said.
The six signs, created by Larry Plummer of Design Works Custom Sign Studio in Hillsborough, N.J., cost $2,610 each and were funded through the Township’s Economic Development Revolving Loan, which is used to promote business activity. The first sign was unveiled March 24, 2010, at the Mercer County Economic Development Summit to rave reviews.
“Our gateway signs are just part of an overall effort to help our business community,” said Council President Rich Levesque, liaison to the Economic Development Advisory Committee. “We are supporting small businesses by highlighting openings and expansions, by supporting a cooperative advertising partnership and by asking businesses for their ideas.”
Mayor Fried noted that the gateway sign initiative fulfills a promise he made when he became mayor in 2005. “At that time, it was clear that businesses were suffering from a lack of a strong community identity. They said that the Township’s economic position would benefit not only from changing the name, but also from promoting it. Today, we are taking an important step toward keeping that promise.”
“The name Robbinsville sets us apart,” Mayor Fried said. “Our name creates a hometown feel, but at the same time, a sense that things are happening. Installing our gateway signs represents one more step in promoting that sense of place.”
